Dare To Live

I am who I am, and who I am needs no excuses!!

 

Recently I have been challenged with many things, health, depression, changes in lifestyle and with that someone has asked who are you.  What makes you, you.  To this I have answered I Don’t Know, I have no idea who I am.  While discussing this with a loved one she asked me what my values are, surely they are what makes you, you!

I have always defined myself by my status in life, as in I am a wife, mother, daughter, niece, sister in law etc. I work at, whatever, before marriage, I was an athlete, I was one of eight children,  I was one of the xxxx family. People never really knowing which one of the family I was.

With my recent health issues, I have gotten totally bogged down.   I have tried to continue doing what I would normally do, at the same pace and with the same expectations, but my body has been letting me down. Or has it?  Maybe this is my body trying to tell me to stop, change, adapt and adopt new ways…..

I love walking as a means of movement, as a means of self care and as a means of enjoyment.  I love being outdoors and love spotting wild life, or smelling a new scent, or discovering a new blossom.  It was suggested to take up swimming again, but that is even more exhausting than walking, it was suggested to go back on the bike, but that causes its own problems with my current issues. I mean what else can I do, I want to do my walking the way I have always done it but can’t and woe is me!! Or is it.

So this weekend I decided to actually listen to my body, but also do what I like to do.  I went for a walk, hubby and dogs in tow, I slowed my pace down, if pain started to creep in I changed my pace, If I needed to stop, I took a break.  I actually went on a longer walk than I would normally go, I was out for a much longer period of time, but it had all the right results.

I was out, I was doing what I like doing, I was happy, I was sharing my time with my loved one, I was enjoying nature, which included seeing squirrels, a pheasant, swans, ducks and a cheeky little girlie dog, pink bow and all, who interacted with one of my dogs and then “blew him off”….. twice!! J

So back to the original question, who am I

I am me, a unique human being.  I have quirks and I have faults.  I am loving and giving.  I am sharing and caring. I can adapt and adopt new ways. I value my time with loved ones. I love nature and the outdoors.  I am sensitive and learning to embrace it. I am a kind empathetic sort of person. I am flexible. I am helpful. I am who I am with many more fine attributes.

I still fulfil various roles in my life, but they do not define me, they are not what makes me, me.

So if life is challenging you at the moment, if health is letting you down or giving you signals of change, then try not let it get you down.  Try to stop and think how you can change your lifestyle to suit the new you.  Your fundamental self does not change, just how you approach things. Don’t let the rat race of life dictate who you think you should be or could be, instead look at your own values in life and live by them. Learn to be flexible with life and learn to be you.