This summer I shared my experiences as a person with invisible disabilities (fibromylagia, chronic fatigue, multiple food and drug allergies) and how I have learned to take care of myself by overcoming chronic illness and stress.
Without doubt the quality of my life experience is influenced by my attitude. Happiness is a state of mind and we can achieve it by making the choice to be contented with our lives as is and grateful for what we do have, despite our circumstances.
I have learned nothing external provides more than passing pleasure. The creation place for happiness dwells within me. I have learned that when I make a conscious decision remain in a mindful state, the happiness choice is an easy and very natural one to make. I can look for opportunities for emotional healing and growth even when times are tough and that’s what I aim to do.
I can choose to take care of myself by employing the strategies I shared in this blog. Or I can choose to over emotionalize, immobilize and to sink into depression. I can choose to feel all my feelings fully and then make the choice to be happy despite my circumstances. Or I can choose to suppress and deny them and suffer.
Over the years I have developed some effective strategies for conscious living. I have published affirmations, relaxation techniques and meditation practices for beginners in an ongoing series of posts in this blog. And now that I have slowed down and examined my 586 blog posts, I can see that I have a lot of fixing of categories and tags to do in 2011 to make some deeper material available.
Emotional healing
Along with diet changes, yoga, meditation, aromatherapy and massage I have been using Bach Flower Remedies for emotional healing and I’m wondering if any of my readers are using them too.
These days pain is a common ailment as my friends and I are heading towards retirement years. Impaired joint function, arthritis, fibromyalgia and gout are among the complaints and that’s not surprising as inflammation is the body’s natural response to wear and tear and injury. Along with the physical symptoms of aging and the energy it takes to cope with chronic pain and exhaustion, feelings of helplessness and depression are common.
Constant pain can be irritating at least & overwhelming at most. Beech provides some relief from feelings of intolerance.
Elm is useful when I'm feeling overwhelmed by commitments and deadlines as it helps me put things back into perspective.
When I recognize I have been driving myself too hard and over extending, Oak motivates me to take time off to relax and to move at a slower pace.
Olive helps get me through the day by increasing my energy when I find myself feeling exhausted from lack of sleep.
Honeysuckle can be used for depression. It assists in the ability to live mindfully in the present desire to move forward.
Gorse can also be used for depression. When and when feelings of helplessness impinge it provides a sense of hopefulness.
Impatience can be used to reduce onset of feelings of annoyance, frustration and irritability caused by impatience.
Star of Bethlehem can neutralize the effects of shock due to accidents or due to past traumatic PTSD causing events.
Willow can be used for bitterness negativity, & resentment. It evokes flowering of consciousness.
People with 
Arthritis affects 46 million people in the U.S. That’s nearly one in five people. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, but the most common is osteoarthritis. It affects men and women in equal numbers. Arthritis is not an inevitable part of aging, most people develop osteoarthritis after 45, but it can occur at any age. And the good news is that there are now better treatments to relieve pain, stiffness, and discomfort. 
