We have all heard the saying stop and smell the roses but it took a whole new meaning for me yesterday. 

We really need to stop and think about all the small things we take for granted. I have not felt normal sensations through my hand in almost 23 months. I have not moved my hand in that many months. Recently we got my fingers moving slightly with a lot of focus and muscle power.  Yesterday while working out at the gym something happened. (We aren’t fully sure what but something clicked) Sensation came back to my hand and movement was almost effortless. I could feel different textures. I could feel the cold of the kettle bell the foam of the TRx bands the roughness of the turf. Alll things I had felt a million times before with my left hand but seemed to have not noticed. 

It was eye opening to have this feeling.  I felt everything yesterday I touched the snow. I felt warm water on my hand in the shower. I felt different fabrics I touched the walls the cars wet dry hot cold I took it all in. It really was overwhelming. These are things we do every day. Things I touch every day but never noticed. 

We go through life so fast that we don’t notice the small things. We measure progress from week to week or month to month. We don’t stop and see the difference a day can make. One day, one moment can change your life. In one moment it can be taken away and in one moment it can all come back. 

I challenge you like I challenge myself to embrace those small things we take for granted. The ability to get out of bed in the morning. Both physically and mentally get out of bed and get through the day. We all have our issues. We all have our struggles. But in the end we all can be the best version of our selves if we put the time and effort in. 

Wake up earlier Start your morning with reading for fifteen minutes instead of rushing through your morning routine. Workout the power of exercise is incredible. Exercise has changed my life. It has brought me the ability to walk. It brought me the ability to feel. It brought me the ability to have confidence in myself I never thought I would have. Exercise is life changing and the greatest mood changer you will ever find. Take that vacation. Buy that new outfit. Treat yourself and embrace each day you are given. As cliche as it is tomorrow isn’t promised so you have one day twenty four hours to make the best out of it. 

Smell those roses and really think about the things you do each day. Stop rushing through life and going through the motions really do things you love and do them with a passion that lights a fire in you! 

A workout selfie from before the gym session that was extra special  because the video of my hand moving wouldn’t load. 

Xox

Recently I have been trying to shift my line of thinking to how I want to feel in life and what I am doing each day to reach that feeling. Sure we can all say we want to be happy but what does that mean. 

Most of us made resolutions in 2017 and probably related to health and fitness. Things like the number on the scale, the number of inches or how many times you could do a pull up. I made these goals. I want to be able to do a pull up so bad!  But deep down there has to be more to the goal than doing a pull up. It’s how you will feel when you hit that pull up. If you picked a goal weight why did you pick that weight. Did you pick it to be more confident. Did you pick it to feel happier. It’s a feeling we should be chasing not a number. A number will constantly distract us from the progress  we are making and the feeling of achieving something you couldn’t do. 

It is great to have goals. But we should shift our focus to how we will feel when we reach those milestones. Let me tell you a little story. I was told multiple times that I would never walk again. So my goal was always to walk again and prove them wrong. I worked extremely hard and I cried and I got angry and I was frustrated but the reward the first time was amazing feeling the freedom of walking again. The second time I was told I wouldn’t walk again I held on to that feeling of freedom I had the first time I learned to walk again and knew that I would achieve that again. I held that feeling of achieving something that someone said I would never do and transferred it to skating. Which was the best day of my life. 

The feeling of achieving something you or someone else thought you wouldn’t do is the best feeling in the world but it’s only worth it if you are happy. So stop chasing the number on the scale or the look of the lady on the magazine. Sit down and ask yourself the tough questions. What do you have to do in order to make yourself happy? What steps can you take to have the best life? What does the best life look like? Where do you see yourself at the end of the year and how will you feel when you get there? Chase more that superficial goals and dreams dig deep make it worth while!! 

Be selfish love yourself and do it all for you! Strive for the feeling of overwhelming happiness! Be happy. Don’t stop until you are happy. But don’t be hard on yourself. You are a work in progress. You get one life live it to the fullest. Never give up! 

Here’s my thoughts on this and how I plan on living 2017. Be selfish. Love yourself and make yourself number one. 

Yes we all have commitments, we have jobs and families and friends and we spend our days giving and giving but do we give ourselves the same in return that we give everyone else. 

Most of us do not. We go through the motions we run ourselves crazy and we don’t take time for ourselves. So think about it…right now are you in a place right now that makes you completely happy or are you just rolling through life?  What can you do right now to put yourself first! You don’t have to make a hundred changes but try and make a few small changes every day to get you to a place that makes you happy. 

For example start each day with reading a book! My first book of 2017 is Desire Map. Which so far is amazing and has told me to stop dreaming start doing which is definately something I need to put into practice. Maybe a work out to start your day can help you find an inner happiness and self love.  Maybe it’s saying no to all your commitments for a day and staying in bed giving yourself that time to regroup. 

We are the most important person in our lives. Without you life doesn’t happen. A friend reminded me of this today. It is very important to love ourselves be selfish even when society tells us that we shouldn’t. Society tells us to go to school get a job start a family and constantly give. Never when growing up do we hear how important it is to take care of ourselves until something happens and we are required to make changes like getting sick! 

Who’s with me on being selfish and taking time for ourselves. Make the small changes necessary and find your happiness! Channel your inner Meredith Grey! 

This reminder I saw this morning really inspired me. Time is constantly moving forward. The days and weeks will continue whether you are ready for it or not. But why let it pass you by. Every small step forward can equal something big at the end of the day, week or year. 

I have constantly struggled with this concept and thought I was moving backwards and never forward or I wasnt moving fast enough in the right direction. Rehabilitation, self love, exercise, healthy living it’s all a journey. It’s nothing that can be achieved over night, in a week or a month. It’s a constant process. I currently am coming up on 22 months post paralysis and I still do not have full function in my wrist and hand but it is a heck of a lot better than it was! It takes time and patients. 

My hope for 2017 is to constantly move forward each day. And my hope for those reading this that you do just the same. Do something each day that you love, make small changes to your health and be present in your life. Spend more times with your friends and family and for the things you love! 

My goal for 2017 is to give myself the benefit of doubt I give everyone else. I deserve the same amount of chances as everyone else. If my body says I need to take a break I need to understand that is my body’s way of recovering and it will bring me closer to my goals instead of beating myself up for needing an extra rest day. I challenge you to join me in this goal of loving yourself. One of the best things I ever did was realize that I need to do what makes me happy and by doing so I have gotten rid of unnecessary drama, I have lost friends, but in the end I have found a better self. I have surrounded myself with the best friends I could ask for. I have been more present and have gotten to spend time doing activities I love. 

So cheers to 2017! Let’s make it the best year yet! Soo much to look forward to!!