Bouncing Back

I love how life works. I'm still pleasantly surprised when life works it's wonderful magic that it makes me stop and say, "Wow".

Months ago I "liked" the Facebook page for Positively Positive. I love having positive images and uplifting stories peppered in between family/friend postings. I particularly enjoyed artwork and written pieces contributed by Karen Salmansohn.

If her name is familiar to you it might be because her work has been published in O Magazine. Her articles are witty, informative and always spirit affirming.

One of her books, The Bounce Back Book caught my attention. "How to thrive in the face of adversity, setbacks, and losses."

Well. If that doesn't sound like something Falling With Grace worthy, what is? Feeling relatively well at the time I ran out to buy the book. When I picked up the book I giggled at the texture of it. The outside is covered in rubber ball material. Fun! 

As feeling well usually goes for me, I didn't listen to my body's whispers and I pushed myself too hard. I crashed bad. I was laying in my bed feeling my broken self start to take over. 

"This sucks." I mumbled to myself. Self pity party in 3...2...1- 

"Bridget! Damn it! Stop it!" I shouted at the kitten as she was digging her claws into something on the floor by my desk. 

I flopped my head over the side of the bed and like a BAZAM from God, there nabbed under Bridget's kitten claws was Karen's book. 

I wriggled out of my Snuggie and plopped down to save my book from certain shredding. Suddenly instead of flipping through the pages as someone reviewing the book I was reading as someone desperate for help. 

I think that's what is so great about Karen's work. There are so many perspectives to the points she makes. Pages that at first made me think, "Oh, yes...great point" were re-read making me think, "Oh, damn...I'm really doing that." 

In her book Karen Salmansohn guides you through 75 different life tips to help you get back on your feet. After each tidbit of advice there is a lesson assignment. Sometimes the most powerful impressions are formed when you come up with solutions yourself. The lesson assignments really plug those ideas and send them home to be tools for a lifetime. 

In one of my earlier posts I wrote about how powerful words can be. For me seeing visual cues for my subconscious work very well. Affirmations woven into the art are whimsical and bright. 

Check out Karen's website www.notsalmon.com to be happily inspired. 

Liebster Blog Award

My blog has been honored with the Liebster Blog Award. I was given this recognition by fellow blogger Jazzcat who also suffers from Sjogren's Syndrome.  Sjogren Life shares the daily struggles of living with Sjogren's. It's written in French and I fully admit that I like to try and read it before translating.

I'm not sure there's a tiara involved but I do understand that the honor gets passed on. So as my reign ends (wait, I get to keep the sash, right?) I acknowledge other blogs that I admire. 

Many of the blogs that I've subscribed to have more than 400 readers or are well established so I've been on a journey to find others. I have been deep in the middle of the interwebs and have stumbled on so many touching stories of journeys, life and love. 

From my circle I share Make This Look Awesome by Pamela Curtis. She intends to put a positive spin on chronic illness. 

Angie Brooks writes Angie...unplugged. Angie writes about life and challenges it to be ordinary. It's fun and refreshing to read from the perspective of a busy Mom. http://www.angieunplugged.com/

Chelsey Fernandez writes HOPE Helping Other Patients Everywhere. Chelsey describes being diagnosed with Children's Primary Angiitis of the Central Nervous System at 17. PCNSV is rare and is another account of the human immune system getting the signals wrong. In the case of PCNSV it attacks blood cells in the brain. 

I found Lupus, Humor and Wellness by Carla Ulbrich. This is a fun site. Lupus, Humor and Wellness, Think Outside the Prescription Bottle adds a dose of humor. 

Last blog is written by my son Cole who writes One Song For Glory. He writes about finding that one perfect song. I'm not sure if this is just a metaphor...I wonder if he knows? He also dabbles in fiction. He really does play guitar in the backyard wearing a fedora too. 

Please scroll down to the list of blogs that I read. They are all very informative and fun. 

Reasonably Well which is written by Julia has been a life saver for me since being diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome. Four years ago I left my doctor's office really frustrated that there wasn't more information he could give me. I searched and found Julia's site. More than just being a great source of information on living well she's really hysterical. 

Love to all... pageant queen waves...kiss, kiss. Now, where is that box of donuts? 

Word

Years ago there was a simple expression that passed the lips of many a cool kid. So simple this expression that it consisted of only one word. What word you ask? Word. 

Word. Go ahead and say it out loud. Word. Now say it like you know you used to say it. Word. If so inclined you can even add the hand gesture and shoulder bow. Again...word. 

UrbanDictionary.com has 3 slang uses: 

1. Well said
2. Said in a agreement
3. Can be used as a greeting, hey what's up

While word can be used to convey a positive confirmation of a statement the use of words have a profound power. A few words strung together can have a positive effect and they can also have a very negative effect. 

Years ago I started using affirmations as a way to clear the negative thoughts that were weighing me down. I just could not stop picking up others' words and putting them into my own voice. 

The use of affirmations had such an immediate and positive effect in my life. It was as if I was flushing my mind of bad and replacing it with the good. 

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers is an awesome book that explains the use of affirmations in great detail. She has a great list of affirmations to start out with that are a great foundation for getting back on your feet. 

Another useful tool to clear the clutter of negative words from your mind are the use of recorded affirmations or scripts. I found this particularly useful because I think I was unconsciously absorbing good stuff. 

In most of the recordings you are instructed to repeat the phrase which puts the positive words into your own voice. I admit that there were days that I would repeat the phrases while gritting my teeth and talking very snarky. "I love people." and "I can't wait to start my day!" 

There are lots of themes and topics out there for any struggle you might be facing. You may find many  at your local library, written and recorded. Many can be found online too. I encourage you to do this for yourself. It's a simple yet powerful thing that you can do to see profound results in your life. 

You deserve it. You're awesome and you're powerful beyond your current comprehension. Word. 

http://www.susanjeffers.com/home/index.cfm