Embrace the Journey; A Curated Blog: Be Bold

Do you reject doing things because you are afraid of what people will think or because it looks hard to do? It’s all scary, but I encourage you to be bold. Just try it. Me, I walk funny. Sometimes I talk funny. But, if there’s something I really want to do, I find a way to make it happen. Everything starts off being hard to do. Effort and learning something new are what matters to me.

Learning to play again

It took over ten years to realize that MS doesn’t define me. In fact, I’ve learned to accept and embrace me with MS. Learning about the disease gives me more tolerance and patience with myself. I’ve noticed that other people don’t care about what’s wrong with me. They see me trying and offer patience and support. That’s why I say, “Be bold”. Do what you want to do.

Discombobulated in Italy

I was diagnosed with MS close to when I retired. Both my self concept and self esteem were discombobulated. I felt disconnected and lost. I was a mess. Then, we moved to North Topsail Beach and I found quilting. Patchwork Squares Quilting  Group was my laboratory for learning some valuable lessons about living with chronic disease. 

Lesson # 1 - Everybody has something. 

Lesson #2 - MS makes learning new skills challenging. 

Lesson #3 - People wanted to help make things easier for me.

Lesson #4 - I was a valued member of the group.

Toastmaster Meeting on Zoom

When we moved back home to Western North Carolina, I found more great organizations to help me expand my boundaries. These were non judgmental, supportive places to continue learning in safe environments. 

My church, Four Seasons Toastmasters, Memoir Group, and hot yoga are just a few examples that I know personally. The common thread is they see and accept me, the person. The disease is noted and together we inform others about MS.

My biggest critic is me. I’m trying to be more lenient with myself, but  self judgement still creeps in. I try not to let negativity sabotage my efforts. This blog (judymanagesms.blogspot.com) and my YouTube channel, (judymanagesms) about my journey are great examples of how this works. My support groups boost me when I’m ready to give up.

What about you? Have you experienced any of these life lessons, or maybe you have others? Next time you hesitate to do something, I encourage you to go boldly forward!