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Working On Personal Growth
I’m a personal growth junkie, I have to admit. I’m constantly learning and trying to better myself, so when I read Ari’s recent column, I resonated with it. Because while personal growth is great and necessary, sometimes it feels hard when the everyday complexities of SMA are added to the mix. I especially liked when Ari said:
“Who has time for personal growth when you’re just trying to survive the hazards of this disease?”
Do you feel the same way? SMA definitely requires a lot of our attention. I’m typing this and laughing at the irony as I spent the entire day yesterday in doctor’s appointments and trying to find formula for my NJ tube. I didn’t have time for much else, but like Ari mentioned, we have to do our best to try anyway.
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3 Replies
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I always tell myself tomorrow I’m going to meditate. Tomorrow comes and I seriously have no time to meditate. My morning routine takes so long, 3h30, that I’m ready at about 11 am.
But at 4 pm, time for supper and other things to do with my caretaker. That is 2 hours long, so that brings me to 6 pm. The caretaker comes back at 8 pm to start the going to bed routine. I literally find that my days fly by in the blink of an eye. I wish I could start my bed routine at 10 pm, but there are so few people that want to do that job that I take what I can. As for personal growth. I’ve been going at it for at least 20years, I think, yet I don’t feel any wiser. I might be more understanding of other people’s opinions or views. But My anger has quadrupled in the last 2 years. I try so hard not to let things (lack of caretakers, Government blindness to our situations, seeing people suffer like what’s going on in Ukraine, etc.) get to me, but with very little to no success. I guess what’s important is that “I” at least try to better myself.
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Totally hear you on that. We may not be able to control what happens around us but we can control how we respond to it. Sometimes that’s the best we can do!
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I think making an attempt is what we can do. Sure, we have more to deal with, but that’s not a competition. We have the cards dealt to us, make the best of the situation. For me, I exercise – a lot – and always try to carve out time for that. 1.5 – 2.5 hours per day, even on days when I have PT, one land and one aqua appointment per week. That takes an effort. I could find reasons to not exercise, but I don’t because it’s important to me and my well-being. And my long-term health. I carve out time to read – every day. And Carole mentions meditating, which I do periodically, but would like to be better about it. But that also doesn’t mean you have to do 30 minutes a day. Start with 1 minute per day. Do that for a couple of weeks. Then increase to 2 minutes. Just focusing on your breaths, in and out. Still your mind and be present. Even a minute is incredibly challenging, but it can be done.
And I work full time. So, personal growth comes in many forms. And it involves sacrificing something, the old opportunity cost. If you’re doing A, you can’t do B, etc.
My secret? I never watch TV during the week unless I’m off work on a given day. Never. It’s the only way I found that I don’t just sit and stare at the TV instead of doing things that are more important and beneficial to me. And I realize that won’t work for everyone either. But maybe turn it off 30 minutes earlier or on 30 minutes later than usual. Make the time. It’s there, even in small amounts.
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