I was just on the verge of moving abroad when my health started to shift significantly. Prior to this I was an active person in my mid 30's, just married with a new home, and 2 year old puppy. This unexpected offer to move abroad had me excited while also very nervous. There had already been so many changes, and my health was suddenly one of them. Nevertheless, I felt it was an opportunity to seize, and assumed that time would resolve all else.
Fast forward nearly twelve years later, and I'm just now turning a corner on my health. This chapter in my life has been the hardest, while also the most rewarding in terms of growth. It was about half way in that I made the decision to change my perspective towards my pain. I started to view it through the lens of practicality and functionality, as opposed to taking it personally. Rather than feeling like it was working against me, I started to recognize its purpose...it was there to inform me. This mindset helped me to navigate the next several years. I began to explore my health & myself, and used my pain as a way forward or a guiding light.
While I had taken on this newfound perspective, life still presented its difficulties. I new my situation wouldn't change immediately. It definitely got worse before it got better. My identity had been heavily compromised throughout this time. My pain was constant and quite intense, which changed everything about who I was. I had become limited in my daily life, which was often unpredictable. Thankfully, just when I was needing it most my health and intuition redirected me towards an outlet of hope. That hopefulness came in the form of my creativity. Being creative was always something I loved and identified with, but had neglected over the years. Reconnecting with it truly saved me, giving me a sense of purpose, direction, and a way to express my emotions. I was so thrilled about this renewed connection that I attempted an illustration business. Although my intentions were in the right place, my health was not good enough to be running a business!! At that point I decided creativity would serve me best as a healing agent, rather than a business. It's been my trusted companion ever since.
In the end, I gained so many life lessons throughout this chapter. Our health is precious, and our relationship to it is uniquely our own. It's a complex and mysterious part our lives, and in my case it's taught me so much about myself. It helped me to realign with my current life path and restore my connection to creativity. It was through this period that I was able to experience creativity in all its fullness, which I now get to share with others. It wasn't easy getting to this point, but that's what makes it so special. I truly feel honored to be doing this work and look forward to learning, growing, and meeting others as I go!