Brave Enough To Be Bliss

Just some food for thought from someone who cares. Take good care of yourself today. Sending you a big virtual hug. Try to give yourself a break and be the friend to yourself that you are to others. ❤️

Is it true? Can you absolutely know that it’s true? Yes or no?

How does that thought make you feel? How do you react when you believe the thought? How do you treat ______when you think the thought?

Can you see a reason to drop that thought? Can’t drop the thought, just can you see a reason to?

Can you see a stress-free reason to keep that thought? Who or what would you be without that thought? Close eyes, deep breath, how would your life be different without that thought?

On Thursday, September 15, 2022, 3:42 PM, Allen wrote: Thank you so much for this! I read it when you sent it and it honestly made a huge difference in how I tackled the day. Things have gotten a lot less stressful, but I was just at that point I could barely hang on to the last thread of the rope. There's still a lot going on and still just as busy but much more manageable. Once I got myself to shut up on what I was thinking and making myself perceive that wasn't actually the real facts of what was going on, I could move forward.

From: Ginger Bliss To: Allen Thu, Sep 15, 2022 at 11:46 PM

Makes me so happy to hear you found some benefit from my words. Really wished I could give you a big hug and tell you it would be ok and would get better, but no way to deliver that via email, so I just spoke from my heart as I always do. That’s all I know, honesty and caring, especially for people who are hurting in any way.

Our minds can be so tricky sometimes. It’s hard to manage our brains. They try to protect us even when we don’t need to be protected, so we have to learn to manage our thoughts instead of letting our thoughts control us. Easy to say, not so easy to do.

I had a meltdown at PT on Tuesday. Not certain why really, but tears just started flowing and I couldn’t stop them. The thera pist was seeming frustrated (my perception) and I also was frustrated because I’m not walking correctly and I’m stuck at 130 degre es and I want full flexion, my goal. I’ve done everything I was supposed to and I’m still not where I want to be. So, for the first time in nine straight months of PT, I melted down and I didn’t even care. I couldn’t help it. No sobbing, just a steady stream of tears right into that mask! We all have our times when we think we just can’t take it anymore…and then hopefully we have someone who will swoop in and provide a lifeline and help us help ourselves back out of the depths to be able to see the light and have hope again. I’m so glad that even at a distance, something I said helped.

I am honored that you share your thoughts and struggles with me. It takes a lot more strength to share our burdens and let others in than it does to suppress our feelings and act like we are ok.

“Change is about interrupting the habits and patterns that no longer serve us. If you want to meaningfully alter your life, you don’t simply abandon a dysfunctional habit or belief; you replace it with a healthy one. You choose what you’re moving toward. You find an arrow and follow it. As you begin your journey, it’s important to reflect not only on what you’d like to be free from, but on what you want to be free to do or become.” Dr. Edith Eger That ’ s a good example that while men don’t always communicate as much about their struggles, when they do, their struggles aren’t much different than women’s . We can all learn from each other when we vulnerably share our experiences. As a similar example of struggles, part of the reason I decided to send that November 9, 11:33 p.m. email about the laxatives to Allen is because I wondered if he struggled with his body image. I remembered the situation because I lied, but even more because I wondered if, when I said I couldn’t see him , he felt rejected since he had eaten badly and returned from his trip feeling so poorly about himself. I also remember he sent me a photo of his upper body as he was looking in a mirror early the next week saying he had to get more consistent about working out because of how he looked. It was impossible to see what he was talking about. His body looked quite firm from what I could see, abs, chest, arms, and shoulders. There must have been some other definition he was maybe used to seeing, but I sure couldn’t imagine it. It reminded me of how I had viewed myself in photos.

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