The challenges have come to an end...are you still here with me? How did things go? What did you learn about yourself while doing the challenges? You're stronger than you think? You are! can you see there is a life beyond your pain and that you don't have to give up living life for you? I hope by completing the challenges you are beginning to take the steps to reclaiming your life for you and not your pain. 

Each challenge is a step to managing your pain. Learning what soothes you, how to talk with yourself when feeling pain, changing your exercise and eating habits, managing the stress within your life, understanding your medications and exploring alternative treatments...are healthy goals to have for managing a pained life. Changing your own personal thoughts and behaviours may be difficult, but are also healthy goals in pain management. 

Pain is now a part of who we are and unless the medical community miraculously discovers a cure, we will probably live with pain for the rest of our lives. For this reason, we need to learn how to cope with it, prepare for and manage it. It is possible, but it's up to us to take the steps within our own lives. We will each experience our pain differently, and our abilities and limitations are different too. Learn what your abilities are and live within them. Stretch your limitations so they are not constricting your life. Live for you and not your pain. You can do it!

I'd like to wrap things up by giving you one last challenge....go and reward yourself! take the time today to treat and reward yourself and your efforts. Even if you've only completed one challenge...reward your effort. If you need to postpone this step that's fine, but please do plan for it within the next few days. 

I wish you only the best for your health and your life moving forward....take good care of you.
Tammy

It takes a lot of strength and courage to put the past behind you and stand up and say: "I will not let it define me". To push forward and create the life that you truly deserve and not focus on bad things that life handed you in the past.

~~Unknown~~


Picture taken in Collingwood, ON

I made a comment yesterday that I need to clarify. When I said that everyone in the world has at one point or another gone through something painful in their life, I did not mean to demean, diminish or disqualify anything you are going through in your life. 

When we are going through something it always feels worse because we are the ones going through it. We can't imagine anyone ever feeling as low as we do at that point. At times it's easy to think you are alone and no one else could possibly understand when you're not even sure you understand yourself what's going on or why you're feeling what you're feeling.

I know how that feels. I think too because we know how that feels, we are able to have empathy towards others. It gives us a silent understanding that doesn't need words to explain because it often triggers the pain again in us. 

My comment yesterday was not meant to be insensitive or uncaring. It was meant to only to say that you are not alone. There are others having gone through life altering struggles, maybe in different ways than you did, but others are struggling too. Life isn't always easy and there will be days when you wonder why...why you...why now...when will it ever end. 

I do apologize if what I said yesterday in anyway diminished your feelings. I did not mean to. But I hope you do realize that you aren't alone in this pained life and that you do have choices and options. Will you seek them out?

take good care of you please

Today's LCP Boot Camp challenge is a three part challenge. The first is to give thought to your personal behaviours when you are feeling your pain. What do you do when you're hurting? What do you turn to? How do you behave when you're hurting? 

We know pain is not only physical, but emotional and mental too and sometimes we don't always respond in the best way...our behaviour can be negatively affected by our pain. Give thought to how you behave when you are feeling your pain.

Take a look at the following...(just a few examples)

• drug and/or alcohol abuse
• prescription abuse
• self abuse
• self-isolation 
• disassociating with your life
• explosive verbal and/or physical outbursts
• negative self-talk
• eating disorders
• neglectful self-care

I want to taste the glory of each day and never be afraid of pain.
~~Silvia Plath~~




Picture taken in Dorchester Mill Pond, Dorchester, ON

Are you on the right track? 
Are you where you want to be?
What are you doing to get yourself there if you're saying no?

Whatever track you may be on in your life right now, you have the choice to stay or to get up and get moving...and even if you are on the right track...you'll get run over if you just sit there.

Yes things may have happened to you in your life that you are struggling with but you know what? There is not one person in the world that will say they haven't faced something in their life too. You are not alone.

Life happens, it's a human thing. 

Things happen to us. Both the good and the bad, that's life. I do realize that there are many things that may have happened in your life too that were beyond your control but still left a hurtful mark in you. But like anything else in life, you have the choice to keep hurting over things that you cannot control or change and that have already happened, or you can say that you are going to do whatever you can so that you can hurt less and get moving on in your life.

Yes things have happened to you. Things have happened to all of us. Some pain we have caused ourselves and some pain has been caused by others in our personal little world. But no matter what the cause of the hurt, we each have a choice to stay hurting and continue to hurt or we can choose to rise above where we've been and create the world we want for ourselves moving forward. 

Within you is everything you need to create the life you want for you moving forward. Do you believe that? It's true. You have the strength to make the choices you need for you. The only question I have is will you take the steps you need for yourself so that you can believe it too. I hope you will. Please remember too that our lives are more than just the negativity or the bad things that have happened. Don't forget to give some thought to all the good things that have happened in your life too! Both deserve equal argument in the value of your life's worth which cannot be given to you by anyone but you. You define your worthiness. No one else but YOU.

take good care of you ok?

Today's LCP Boot Camp Challenge is to get active in your life and complete at least 1 hour of exercise.

​Over the past month, the physical challenges have progressed by increasing the time frames given...we started off at 15 minutes, then to 30 and then to 45 and now we're at 1 hour. Have you progressed with it and increased the amount of time you're exercising each day? How often are you exercising each week?

If you haven't increased your time yet...please try and do so. Little increments is best so you don't cause further injury, but it's important that you challenge your limitations while improving your abilities.

If you need to break down your exercise into smaller increments of time throughout your day that's fine. Move as you're able when you're able...but get active in your life.

If you haven't developed your personal exercise plan yet, give it some thought today. What can you do each day to keep you moving and mobile? The more you move today...the more you will move tomorrow.

How many invitations must the universe send before you understand that the You you have always wanted to be has been waiting patiently all this time for your response?

~~Tyler Knott Gregson~~



​

Picture taken in Dorchester Mill Pond, Dorchester, ON

there is just something about this picture that makes me laugh...Happy Monday to you!