Seven Daily Habits

7 daily habits, that will change your life;
1 – wake up 
2 – complain less
3 – teach others
4 – roll with change
5 – be on time
6 – practice kindness
7 – stay positive

Life according to me, in thought and action……

Living life according to me in thoughts and actions looks and feels something like this;

• I try to keep everything simple, but when I want to achieve something, I do it with all my heart! That sometimes, goes awry.

• I am a over-thinker. Letting the truth, be told I have 100s of imaginary scenario playing in my head  at any one time….sometimes this makes situations more difficult than it should be but well this is how I am and it’s how I make the magic happen.

• Health and life issues will always challenge me, as I aren’t someone who keep things to themselves anymore. I used to hold it all inside until I became toxic to anyone or anything, now I will confront the challenges head on, till I am facing back in the right direction. I am real and raw and that’s not always easy, but it’s the difficult times that push me back through to better days. Although I know life can’t be perfect, it’s the want of perfection that makes think a lot which at times causes the challenges that mess up particular situations.

• I am one of the best listeners. I can listen to others stories all day, everyday and I  will listen to every story with keen interest even if it’s about something I don’t understand. I know the importance of listening and I want others to reciprocate that.

So this is me and this is how I wander the shores of the globe preaching and teaching about my experiences and beliefs. It may not be normal, but what is normal anyway!

Much love

Harmoni 💋

http://www.twitter.com/just_1_goddess

http://www.instagram.com/the__barefoot__goddess

So You Have A Diagnosis of FND……WHAT’S NEXT ?

So you’ve got a diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder! GREAT – but how quickly, that elation diminishes- well it did for me! I soon had many more questions than when my array of symptoms was initially being worked out.

So there I was, I had a diagnosis, that even my initial neurologist didn’t know much about. She sent me home with the name of a website, medications and lots of referrals. I was paralysed down my right side, unable to use my right hand, loss of balance finding it dreadfully hard to walk even small areas without falling, that was just the tip of the iceberg of what was happening to me! I was totally needing the assistance of my husband…..BUT, I had to wait weeks for my referrals to let the only known treatments begin…..and those weeks seemed to last a lifetime! The treatments did finally begin and yes, I have progressed well but I am still left with bouts of debilitating symptoms that would floor even the strongest of people.

Sorry to ramble, but this is a similar journey for so many people also affected with FND. It’s very frustrating, scary and lonely but finding a GP and neurologist that you can trust, so that you can keep an ongoing relationship with over time is so very important.

This is why, I’ve decided to go public….very public on my healing journey with FND. Everyday, I am involved in my treatments that include NeuroPhysio, OT, speech and psychological therapies. If that’s not enough to concentrate on, I am also beginning to create and launch what will be a globally known research foundation with a connected healing centre. I want to bring thorough research for more reliable ways, firstly for making the FND diagnosis. But I want to then, have a better platform for educating neurologists and general practitioners around the world about how to educate and connect appropriate treatments to suit individual patients. With a better platform for medical doctors, I feel that a much better awareness and support system will be able to be put into play for patients and their carers. There are a number of patient support groups popping up across social media now and I believe these are wonderful links to help people connect with others that are living with similar but different issues with the same disorder. 

However, for me to be able to do this I need a bigger support network. Across, the globe there have been sports stars and celebrities, who have succumbed to debilitating diseases. They have helped awareness and research foundations for their particular medical conditions, set up amazing platforms. I don’t have that profile….but I do have the determination because I am a survivor of this condition and with your help out there, I know we can build people power in bringing what so many that battle FND need for healing health and life.

If you haven’t connected on social media, please do so and let’s beat this beast of a disorder;

http://www.twitter.com/just_1_goddess

http://www.instagram.com/the__barefoot__goddess

Walking & Talking for ME and YOU,

Harmoni 💋

Just How Do I Define Invisible Illness…….I Do It By #lightingtheflame 🔥

So how do I define invisible illness; I could say it’s an illness or disability that is hidden or not apparent, but that doesn’t even begin to define what some of these illnesses really are, or how they impact the many millions that live with them everyday. You see, some people with sight or hearing disabilities may not wear glasses or hearing aids, BUT they are invisibly disabled.  Someone that may have to sit day in, day out because they have chronic back or joint problems sitting, can be categorised as having a invisible impairment. Invisible disability/ illness creates so many challenges for the people that live with them. There are so many more examples that I could give to define a invisible disability. The reality of invisible illness or disability, is that they can be so difficult for others to recognise or acknowledge. This makes it  difficult to understand the cause of the problem or problems, because they can’t see evidence of it in a visible way. So these invisible conditions have been captured under an umbrella term that captures the whole spectrum of hidden disabilities, known as ‘invisible illnesses’. Having so many illnesses and conditions under the one umbrella, means it is so hard to decipher and diagnose what is actually happening to a person that presents with unseen symptoms.

People with invisible illnesses can find it difficult to  make others understand how their  symptoms of such things as extreme fatigue, dizziness, pain, can be so debilitating.  This misunderstanding, will in many cases be met with hostility, judgement and stigma by the bigger community and world.

People living with invisible illnesses and chronic pain are often accused of faking or imagining their disabilities. These symptoms are real, they can occur due to bouts of chronic illness, chronic pain, injury, birth disorders, they can even just come out of the blue and most importantly are not always obvious to the onlooker.

 Many millions of people around the world, have a medical condition which could be considered a type of invisible illness or disability. Let me explain it this way, there are many that have a chronic medical condition of one kind or another, some of these people are not considered to be disabled, as their medical conditions do not impair their normal everyday activities. These people do not use an assistive device and most look and act healthy. So I’ve explained one side of illness invisibility, this is the other side, the side that causes and increases what can be debilitating physical or mental impairment that can lessen one or more major life activity.  

It saddens me that when somebody sees a person in a wheelchair, wearing a hearing aid, or carrying a white cane, it tells us a person is impaired in some way. But for people living with invisible illness and/or disability living is a bit more difficult for many people in the world to acknowledge. 

Invisible illness and disability can and do significantly impair normal activities of daily living.
Examples of Invisible illness Disability vary, here are just a few;

• Chronic Pain can be the cause from a variety of conditions. A few reasons for chronic pain may be because of back problems, bone disease, physical injuries, and many more reasons. Chronic pain may not be clear to people who do not understand the specific medical condition.
• Chronic Fatigue is a type of disability that refers to an individual who constantly feels tired. This can be extremely debilitating and affect every aspect of a persons every day life. It is totally invisible to the greater community.
• Mental Illness is a term for many illnesses of the mind. Examples are depression, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, agoraphobia, bipolar and the list goes on. These illnesses can also be completely debilitating to the person suffering and can make performing everyday tasks extremely difficult, if not impossible.
• Chronic Dizziness is often associated with problems of the inner ear, chronic dizziness can lead to impairment when walking, driving, working, sleeping, and other common tasks.

I hope you are beginning to see that being invisibly ill, effects many areas of health which effects many areas of life. Many people living with a hidden physical or mental challenge are still able to be active in their hobbies, work and even be active in sports, but their are others that struggle just to get through their day and cannot work at all. 

I want us all to be able to come together in understanding the true level of invisible illness and disability. Because, when we do we will truly begin to see awareness and support bringing better research and thus treatments. 

I will finish today with a list of invisible illnesses that I’ve been creating to show the world just how wide the umbrella is…….but even I may have forgotten some. If I have, please let me know and I will add your illness/disability to the list;

INVISIBLE ILLNESSES 

ADHD

Anxiety disorders

Allergies

Arachnoiditis

Asperger Syndrome

Asthma

Autism

Bipolar disorder

Brain injuries

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic pain

Chromosome Duplication

Chromosome Triplication

Coeliac Disease

Conversion Disorder 

Crohn’s disease

Depression

Diabetes

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Endometreosis

Epilepsy

Fibromyalgia

Food allergies

Fructose malabsorption

Functional Neurological Disorder 

Hypoglycemia

Inflammatory bowel disease

Interstitial cystitis

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Lactose Intolerance

Lupus

Lyme Disease

Major depression

Metabolic syndrome

Migraines

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Myasthenia Gravis

Narcolepsy

Personality disorders

Primary immunodeficiency

Psychiatric disabilities

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

Repetitive stress injuries

Rheumatoid arthritis

Sarcoidosis 

Schnitzler’s Syndrome

Schizophrenia

Scleroderma

Seizures 

Sjogren’s syndrome

Transverse Myelitis

Ulcerative Colitis

Invisible illness and/or disability creates challenges for the people who have them. I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again, the reality of these conditions can be difficult for others to recognise or acknowledge. You may not even understand the cause of the problems, because you cannot see evidence of it in a visible way. So, I say to you – YES, YOU out there in the big wide world, if you can’t see something, how can you judge it! Let’s begin walking together supporting those that are impacted by the many forms of invisible illness. Let’s raise awareness and bring about more real life research so better information and treatments can be formulated to change the way we all see and relate to invisible illness and disability.

If you’ve liked this post, please let me know and if we haven’t connected on social media, let’s do so here;

http://www.facebook.com/TheBarefootGoddessAU

http://www.twitter.com/just_1_goddess

http://www.instagram.com/the__barefoot__goddess

Much love to you all
TBG 💋

Part 2 – The Healing Journey With FND……..

Back on June 26, I told of my introduction to the invisible illness, known as ‘Functional Neurological Disorder’ with “Once Upon A Time….Living With Invisible Illness”.

Once Upon A Time…..Living With A Body Filled With Invisible Illness. – A Barefoot Goddess On A Journey
https://abarefootgoddessonajourney.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/once-upon-a-time-living-with-a-body-filled-with-invisible-illness/

They were dark times…….many days filled with limb spasms, seizures, falls, lots of falls caused by chronic balance issues. Living with symptoms such as these, left me mentally, physically and emotionally drained and it seemed like no one understood. But, it really broke me when the paralysis down my right side occurred……I had to rely totally on those closest to me. Using cutlery was out, I had forgotten how to do my shoelaces up, my walking gait was non existent if I wanted to stay upright, but what made it worst, was that I could no longer crochet. Crochet was my thing….as it was something I could do…..when I couldn’t do anything at all, so not even being able to do that was like a nuclear bomb had gone off.

How was I going to get better…..how could I heal from this, those were my thoughts, constantly.

As, I had mentioned in my previous blog…..I was discharged from hospital with numerous referrals. A couple of weeks went on, when finally I began to receive home based NeuroPhysio to begin the process of helping me learn the art of ‘functional movement’. My home based physio, was wonderful. She pushed me but only as much as I needed. Over what would be four weeks, she enabled me to be able to sit and stand from my sofa, there was still wobbles and shakes but my brain was picking up signals from the body and I was making positive progress. Walking was very difficult and prior to therapy I only had been given a walking stick, which was pretty much useless. My home based physio was able to help me get a walker. Initially I wasn’t completely in agreeable to this mobility aid….but I soon found that it was a godsend. I could use it to help me progress my sit to stand. Using it to help teach me to formulate a walking gait was brilliant. Over, I think it was six weeks, she had really assisted my confidence towards mobility. Home based was then changed to centre based NeuroPhysio. I was lucky to be able to given another therapist that knew what FND was. From day one, we formed a bond. At the Williamstown Hospital where I was having physical therapy, I also began OT (occupational therapy) and thanks to my physio, I had an excellent OT plan created, allowing me to slowly build strength in my paralysed right hand. It was slow going. Some sessions, would see me move my hand, perhaps 5 cm along the table. But that activity caused such fatigue that I would sleep for a day and a half. NeuroPhysio was able to help me again help reconnect my internal software into knowing that to step I had to lift the leg up and down……up and down, again these sessions were also slow. It’s all progress, though and I learnt that even a little is the beginning of reconnecting my brains wiring to my body’s wiring.

In addition to the physical therapy, I began seeing a neuropsychologist. Again, I was sceptical how this could assist but as time went on, I began to learn that it was a spiralling of many things across my entire life that had caused my software malfunction. I had to work through the abuse that I had endured as a child and teenager as well as the many years living with the chronic combination of illnesses. I began to find that as my mind was being able to be cleansed of all the dark clutter that I had chosen to lock inside me, my body also was able to be cleansed. This psych work was working alongside the physical therapy.

I continue to use the physical therapies with the therapy to help the mental trauma, so that I can perhaps live the life that I most love. You see due to extreme fatigue and still requiring the walking frame for mobility when out n about I can’t work a ‘normal’ 40 hour job. I spend everyday working on healing, with the therapies that I’ve spoken about as well as using an adaptive yoga and meditation. I am also a vegan and I truly believe all my healing modalities are helping me to progress to those dreams and goals of living the life that I love. 

Although I cannot work a normal job, I now act as a advocate and speaker for invisible illnesses. Each day, I get stronger I seek to add more objectives and goals for raising awareness, support and research for illnesses, such as FND. If you’ve been following me, you would have noticed that I am creating a ongoing campaign known as #lightingtheflame for #invisibleillness that works on shining a light on all unseen health conditions. My other campaign is #standingup4FND and that is fully focused on functional neurological disorder and will be linked to my future documentary and book.

Functional Neurological Disorder is an ongoing battle to overcome, as the symptoms flow in and out without any notice. Some symptoms can be lived with, others leave me severely impaired. This disorder, is a illness that very few know about and that includes the specialist medical fraternity. For I and many others across my country of Australia and many other countries worldwide to progress with our healing we need much needed awareness, support and so much more research.

If my story has helped you to understand the FND, please like and share this blog, or alternatively connect with me on social media at;

http://www.facebook.com/TheBarefootGoddessAU

http://www.twitter.com/just_1_goddess

http://www.instagram.com/the__barefoot__goddess

I want us all to be able to walk together, so let’s bring a wave of kindness to stamp out the stigma that exists currently with regard to all invisible illness.
Much love 
TBG 💋

Hold my hand and let us heal together…

Healing and recovery takes time, it can’t be rushed and oh so even more becomes true to my heart as I listen to many speak of their wish to be well but not knowing what to do, because they are feeling so alone. The healing journey that we embark on is often filled with imperfect moments, but as we keep moving forward those moments wrap us with so much love and light.

So, I began thinking and wow when this happens – I go deep into thought! 

Then, all of a sudden it became clear. If you are on a healing and/or recovery journey, I am inviting you to join hands with me, so that we can generate, develop and deepen our  gratitude and begin a journey of awakening and aligned health.

How will this work? I want us to connect and honor our lives from this very moment – yes right NOW!

I want us to help one another find power in our bodies everyday .

This can be done through mindfulness, so let us begin if you dare;

 I want us everyday, to sit up straight,  if that is comfortable for you. Let us place our feet flat on the ground, barefoot if possible. You may prefer however to join me sitting in lotus or cross legged position, again with our backs straight. Then we will place one hand on our lower abdomens and one hand on our hearts.

By doing this on a daily basis, we are empowering our inner most soul, if you like – we are saying hello, telling ourselves how much we care for ourselves. Our bodies and souls and are seeking healing hands and by wandering together using these strategies we can support each other in this process. 

As we sit, now it’s most important to say;

• I love myself, I honor and appreciate myself having the power to help me connect more deeply to myself.
• I am most grateful for the support that I receive on my healing journey.

 By either chanting these words or just meditating on them, you are calling  on you. You are giving yourself so much respect for all you have done and not done. You are also appreciating everything that life has helped or is helping to give to you.

This is mind power or mental wellness and it helps us to visualise an abundance of beautiful lights that wander throughout our bodies on any given day . When we can dive more deeply into ourselves, we can nourish ourselves with this and so much more love and light. 

Is this mental wellness or regime of mind power part of your daily regime? If it is, what do you visualise and when you do, what do you look like. I would love to know? If you haven’t begun a mental wellness daily regime, how could you begin to add this into your day. If this has helped you, please like and share my post. Also connect with me on my social media channels;

http://www.facebook.com/TheBarefootGoddessAU

http://www.twitter.com/Just_1_Goddess

http://www.instagram.com/the__barefoot__goddess

“Wandering Towards Wellness Globally”

Murky Water, Clear Skies, Journal Entries & Getting The Fuck Up To Bloom Like A Lotus Flower….It Is Me!

As I close down for the evening, the quote 

“It’s in the murkiest waters we patiently await arrival of the lotus”

explains and defines my journey with life, health and again to life as it is supposed to be, because you see there was a time where the path was murky, dim, gloomy & oh so hard to see clearly through to the next day, everyday and any day!

The waves have been rough to beat and there were moments when the darkness and strength broke me, but……it was at that moment of being broken that the words being visualised from a online mentor came through in dreams something like this;

“Get The FUCK Up & Make That Vision Happen”.

Shit, after all those years as a entrepreneur wanna be, a woman struggling to stay alive with chronic illness and disease, I was receiving the key of life…..if you like, a seed of a beautiful flower had been placed into my loins. Those words in visual dreams have stayed with me and over and over that attitude has kept me pushing towards the vision, my vision!

With further patience, I  am allowing myself to keep wading through the murky water and to my surprise that water it is becoming clearer and to the surface I am like a beautiful lotus beginning to bloom. Its roots , my roots have been deep in muddy water, for a long time , such a long time but just as  the lotus flower, rises, I too am rising from the dark gloomy mud to bloom in the sunshine.  I am clean, fragrant and pure!

My next steps, are important ones, but I am ready! The world is ready! I have just again grasped the world in my hands and I am ready to play BIG and I want the other chronic illness goddesses like me to want to play big too?

So, my message to you that is reading this – if you are stuck deep in the mud, stay patient, keep your faith – follow mentors, online, in real life, write your vision down , pray on it , visualise it, manifest it and when questions get asked and those questions are opened through dreams , you are being given that key or  perhaps that seed – it’s time to stand up, it’s your time to rise from the mud like me!

 “SO, WILL YOU WALK WITH ME & MAKE LIFE BLOOM”

But for now let me turn down the lights, sit in silence using my breath and rest, so that we can again wander towards wellness tomorrow.

Blessings From My Journal

The Blessed Goddess

💋
http://www.facebook.com/IAmFNDAware

http://www.twitter.com/FND_Goddess

http://www.instagram.com/fnd_goddess

Wandering Towards Wellness, Globally

So Dark & So Deep Are The Secrets That You Keep….

So how much do I want life?  How much do I love life?  How deep and dark are the secrets that I keep?These are the questions I’ve been pondering!?!

What appears to be such a long time ago but it really isn’t that long ago…..I saw pain, I felt pain in the realism of wanting the very best , to be the very best for me and my only true beloved and wanted life and career!
It began at the age of three and YES from about 11 to the age of 17, all I breathed, all I wanted was to be a professional ballerina! I practiced, I breathed , I bled , cried and screamed!

When the blessed journey came crashing down , I guess that was when life began to fall down as well. That evil monster who deemed dance was not a life journey – that monster, hid me, destroyed me and punished me for years !
Life in all its entirety never really had the same oomph – There was no stage, there was no reason! 

Over the future forward years,  because my truest self had died, life died and became filled with unwanted pursuits and illness! 

2016, found me destitute and in suicides hive – it was then I realised that life could still be lived, life could still be loved! The dream for everything wanted, is never over! Age, illness, life’s journey it is all dependent on us not the circumstance or numbers! Believe in your stance and most inner breath! Be the goddess, be the strength that is within!

I have been awakened and I have been aligned to my truest self – that self in tutus , pink tights, practice leotards & ballet shoes . That self is a member of the 1% in the 1% and I have success within my veins for obtaining top level love and life because I know what it takes to get there!

So today, let me take you on a journey to find you , not what everyone wants to see, BUT that you that you are! It begins with that little person of long ago – yes she is still there – AWAKEN HER NOW!

Step up onto the stage of life, with the much loved pointe shoes on and feel all of those broken toes, bruises and abrasions . Feel the pain, feel the joy and dance on because it’s what makes you live! If you have narcissists telling you , that is not the life journey- cast them aside because honey, this life is you, of course it’s your life journey! 
I stood in the darkness for way too long – but no one is ever too old to be what ever they are truly meant to be! Get out and shine…..

This is me, I am alive, I am able to shine because I have the pain bringing me back to the joy of life…..and before I step out on my stage, I never forget to breathe and know that this is where I am meant to be and it’s why I can’t help but smile.

Resonate with me, don’t forget to like and share.

Also connect with me on my social media channels;

http://www.facebook.com/IAmFNDAware

http://www.twitter.com/FND_Goddess

http://www.instagram.com/fnd_goddess

“Wandering Towards Wellness, Globally”