Reclaim Your Authority

I’m all about celebrating small victories. This one seems minute, but it is huge to me. I am wearing a t-shirt again!!!

After a bilateral mastectomy, I could hardly move my arms at all. It took weeks and physical therapy to be able to move enough to put on a t-shirt. Thus, the small but huge victory!

Wearing t-shirts is a part of normal that I was missing for a while. It made me feel the opposite of “whole.” 

Surgery was intense and so is the recovery process. I felt limited, uncomfortable, insufficient, reduced and weak. This did a number on my body and my mentality.

All sorts of traumas can trigger these feelings. Surgery, injury and illness are only the most obvious of them. These feelings can arise from an emotional trauma as easily as a physical one. And they are hard to overcome. 

It all comes down to choice. 

I can sit here and feel down and glum. Or I can choose to act. I can be thankful for all I can do and trust my discipline will pay off. 

I diligently executed the exercises the physical therapist gave me. I kept my practice strong, even when I didn’t want to or felt like I wasn’t improving at all. 

I meditated daily to understand my emotions and manage my stress. I woke up and repeated this mantra to myself every single morning:

I am strong.

I am capable.

I am adaptable.

I am loved.

I am worthy.

I am enough.

I am whole. 

I did everything I could to increase my mobility, stamina and perspective. 

I walk the walk of practice. It has made all the difference. 

Now, I can put on a t-shirt! 

This simple ability helps me feel whole. So does the practice itself. 

Triggers and emotions can feel overwhelming, but the truth is you can take away their power by focusing on what you can control. This is done by shifting your mindset in small stages through practice. 

Exercise and mantra are two ways to begin taking back your power. This choice reclaims your authority, allowing you to harness your energy.

Yes you can!