Day 8 - Positive Change

Kat's Reverb11 Prompt  -  Day 8 

What positive change have you made this year:

* in your health?
* in how you relate to your body?
* in your self talk?
* in how you relate to the world?

There were lots of positive changes this year......here are eight for December 8:

1. Getting real. I began to let go of what other people think. I took some time off work after being unwell for some time and just continuing on. I let go of trying to do and be everything to all people. I relinquished control and allowed others to step in. I stopped paddling frantically beneath the surface, whilst trying to make it look effortless. This was a really positive change and totally unheard of for me. I admitted I needed to stop, that I was overwhelmed, and that my health was more important than anything else.

2. Looking kindly. Speaking kindly. I began to stop telling myself that I wasn't enough. I began to learn to look compassionately at myself and to learn to love who I am with all my light and shadow. I realised that true compassion for others is not possible without first having that for myself. I stopped being harsh with my self and began to become more self aware, curious and understanding.

3. Saying no. Saying yes. I began to recognise that compassion needs boundaries, and that I had always struggled with boundaries. In my work and in my personal life, my own boundaries were not clearly defined which had led to many problems of overwhelm. I needed to get to know my values again and what was important to me and why. Accepting my own limits, without limiting myself, meant getting to know who I was all over again. Letting go of survival mode, and welcoming in the feeling of really being alive was a big breakthrough.

4. Balance and stretch. I began going to Yoga class and discovered what my body could do. I started to notice my body's needs and my body's wants. I noticed how I tended to push my body to do things it couldn't and didn't want to do. I learnt more about boundaries, when to gently extend myself and when to be content and let my body off the hook. I became kinder to my body and for the first time learnt truly what was nourishment and what was abuse. I can hear my body now when I am quiet and still. I smiled and laughed at myself much more often.

5. Acceptance. I began to accept who I am and who others are. I began to stop wanting them to complete or validate me. I started to listen more, to talk less, to ask more questions, to be more present for others. I began to let go of anxiety when I am with other people. I laughed a great deal.

6. Artsy. Crafty.Creative. I started to paint, draw, collage....and to try out lots of different crafts. These were things I loved to do as a child. I started to play again. Just for the fun of it. I made jam and pickles for the first time. I baked cakes again. I helped grow vegetables and fruit again, and enjoyed cooking with these. I sang, laughed and danced much more often.

7. Coffee. I cut down my coffee intake. Long overdue.

8. Reaching out. Connection. I began to reach out more to others. Offering more of myself to the world. Rewriting the story. This is probably the change that is one of the hardest. Recognising that I have much to offer and being brave enough to do so, without needing to be perfect or wishing I was someone else. Knowing that my unique offering is irreplaceable, and that so are the offerings of others.

Looks like 2011 has been a beautiful year for change.

There has been lots of play and so much more laughter.

"Play keeps us vital and alive. It gives us an enthusiasm for life that is irreplaceable. Without it, life just doesn't taste good."

Lucia Capocchione