Hello February! I’ve now got one month under my belt in the new year and one of my focuses for 2018—and every year—is to take care of me on every level. Fit 2018 kicked off last month and January saw me doing two things: being sick, and traveling. But mostly, it was just being sick.
Oh, it was nothing too crazy. Just a garden variety cold and later something that felt an awful lot like the flu. Either way, I found myself on my back and resting much more than I’m wont to do in any given time frame. And that, my friends, is perfectly okay.
There has been a real shift for me in this class for 2018 as I am really connecting to whole care, and whole care is much less about numbers and much more about are you doing the best you can on any given day to love and nurture yourself and those around you.
I’m a little chubby. Doesn’t mean I have any less value as a person. I’m working on taking care of myself every day. Some days are stellar. Some less so. All of them, however, I am grateful to be experiencing.
The focus for our February lesson is gratitude and I’m sharing a message about that very topic that will hopefully help my students connect to how it can transform any day, hour or moment and turn it into a positive force for good and change. It’s not necessarily a magic pill, but it definitely can help the squirrels of negativity that often run rampant in our brains to calm the hell down.
One thing that I find myself still extremely grateful for is the returning use of my hand that I broke last fall. Strange as it sounds, I have been feeling a sense of joy that I can clean the house, cook and do laundry without having to ask for any help. I think the old me, the one that used to love throwing a good old-fashioned pity party, would not have felt gratitude at the return of the hand, but more of a sense of entitlement.
One of the things I like to share in Fit is the stuff I’ve been working on for years in therapy, which isn’t really therapy but rather, simple personal development. We humans are a complex lot and we have so much potential for understanding ourselves and why we are the way we are, both positive and negative. Part of my job in Fit is to share my story in the hopes that it will inspire yours.
I love that it’s about reality—what can you do right now? What false ideas do you hold about self care? As I said, there is no magic pill that will transform you. There is only you, reality and the attitude you choose to bring to the table. But oh, can that be a powerful thing.
I say start with gratitude. That’s presently my square one.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN ME FOR 2018! Register for Fit 2018 today and join more than 600 women who are putting their self care as a priority and make the effort to learn what is needed to succeed in a way that is real and sustainable. Click on the image below for the complete course description.
carol ann says
I love the sun ray design you made to put on your page. 🙂 I did your Daily Gratitude album idea in November. It made me a better person because I focused on the positives. For that, I thank you!
Someone in my bible study group once said, “Everyone is broken”. She’s right. As I do FIT with you, Cathy, I realize that, “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me”. I’m LOVING your class and everything that makes me aware. So very happy I’m part of this!
Cathy Zielske says
So glad to have you and yes… that is a statement that probably holds a lot of truth. I know it does for me. 🙂
Kathy says
Your book is so pretty! I may have to re-start my project, which was originally to journal in my planner (haven’t done much). Love your recap, too. Spot-on, as they say.
Cathy Zielske says
Do it!!!
JoAnn says
thanks for doing this project. I don’t have a lot of extra time to interact with the FB group but when I can steal a few minutes I love reading the threads. I definitely needed this at this point in my life- almost empty nester, full time working but looking for a more fulfilling job, taking college classes online and just trying to keep my sanity. My husband tells me, “you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” I take it one day at a time and some days, one hour at a time. I have had to lower my ridiculously high standards for myself and just go with the flow. Thank you for helping me realize it’s ok, in fact, it’s more than ok!
JoAnn
Cathy Zielske says
So true that we can’t do it all… but having that attitude of positivity and wanting to try, or at the very least, show up in a real way every day to your life… that’s a good place to begin!
Jeanne W says
I so relate to the appreciation for working with your hand. I broke my hand shoveling snow the first week of January. I’m still in a brace but it’s slowly healing. I can do a little more than a month ago. I was SO ANGRY at first. Focusing on gratitude is what is getting me through it. And patience-which I’m not very good at. So true that there is only me and my attitude. Thank you!
Cathy Zielske says
Oh Jeanne, you have my sympathy because I understand how frustrating it is. My hand is still not back to normal and that is my reality. Of course, I can do everything I could do before, but it still doesn’t close into a fist properly. Time will bring it all around. I had moments of anger and real sadness at first when I broke mine, but it also was a gift to give me perspective on the value of having what I have. 🙂
Jeanne W says
Yes. It definitely gives me perspective. Focusing on the little improvements! Hope yours continues to improve!
Tamara R. says
Appreciating my good health and full mobility is something I tend to forget to do. Thank you for the reminder.
Cathy Zielske says
Yes, it was definitely a good thing for me to remember and appreciate!
Kirsty Vittetoe says
What a sweet post!