Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Broken Regulators In Life

Written By Don Shetterly
Right now, we're not functioning with our mind and our body.  We are half engaged, but we act as if we are fully engaged.  Our human regulator is broken and causing us great suffering in this world.

When we are not aware or conscious, we don't fully engage in life.  We pull back and only put in part of what we need to put into life.  We numb from fear, and we engage from the ego, not from the heart.

Our emotions may be over the top or nonexistent.  Our passion for causing change may have no regulator on it.  Our words become a way to prove that we know more than others. Our ability to slow down and stop or rest has become one of that is a meme, rather than something we do.

We can only exhaust our body systems before they start breaking down.  If we don't deal with the stress that is piling up on us every day, it will be our stalker that attacks us in the night.  There is no way you can exist in life right now without stress having an impact.  Yes, you can numb yourself by wishing it away, but it is still there.  It lurks in the shadows.

When we stay fully engaged all day long through our electronic devices connecting us to every morsel of "breaking news" that others deem is important, we are hurting our mind and body.  Most of this stuff is noise in a day, but we consume it as if it is the last drop of food we will ever see.  It is not healthy in the least bit, but for some reason, we cling to every new feed, tweet, and a bit of gossip as if it is greater than our life.

When we live in fear and we numb, we are disconnecting ourselves from everyone around us.  We put up the wall between them and us, so we continue to operate.  There is far too much that we use to separate ourselves, rather than help to further the world.  The fear and numb is insidious because even though we act like it does not exist in our life, it operates freely behind the closed doors of our life.

We go online and leave comments that prove to the world we know more than they do.  Memes and happy thoughts become what we share with everyone.  Instead of fully engaging on a human and personal way, we fire back those tweets that will put someone in their place.  Instead of expanding our views, we huddle with those that we agree with not seeing others that hold a differing opinion as someone real in life.

Our broken regulators in life keep us from bouncing from one thing to another.  We don't even fully see it because we are not aware and conscious enough to do this.  We've lost the grounding in our body, yet we have convinced it is still there.  We've lost the ability to disengage from the ranting and screaming because we're convinced we have to fight.

In the meantime, love and compassion and respect has disappeared.  We claim we hold these truths in our life, but our actions fail as a witness in court for us.  We struggle physically with health conditions because we are not dealing with life.  Life has dealt with us in a way that we're no longer in control of our body.  Our mind convinces we are, but the body has long ago shut down.

If we want to and if we have the courage and determination, we can wake up in our body.  It is not easy and very few even do this.  The more you have shut down to in life and what you are inside, the more distance you have to travel back to awareness and consciousness.  It can be done, but it is not easy.  Too many stop before they get very far along this journey.

No one can tell you what you already know in your life, even though it is hidden from view.  It takes each one of us going deep within and seeing what is there that we don't want to see.  If we don't fix the broken regulators in life, we're going to end up in a very awful mess - the likes of which we do not see at this moment.

We can wake up if we so choose, but it is a choice.  It is not a bunch of words that you say.  The evidence shows through your life.  No one will be able to claim if you awake or not as that is something that others around you will know without a doubt.

In this world, we have been marching to the edge of the cliff for a long time.  We're not meant to do that.  Instead, we are destined to wake up and grow in awareness and consciousness.  Life is about becoming more of who we are, not succumbing to what the masses convince us is correct.

Each day of our life, we make a choice as to how we will fit in the world.  Our tweets, social media postings, interactions with others and how much we get to know the depths of our innermost self will reflect our awareness and consciousness.





Thursday, January 11, 2018

Touched By A Butterfly

Written By Don Shetterly
There I was, struggling with all that life had thrown at me that day. I had been triggered, derailed and was struggling to come up for air.  Yet, in the midst of all the turmoil, I was touched by a butterfly.  That moment did so much for me.

I was at the butterfly exhibition located at UCF in Gainesville.  While there were many butterflies flying around, there were also a lot of people.  It was very crowded.

Most of the time, you need to stand real still for a butterfly to land on you.  I think they sense your energy and stillness which determines if they land on your or not.  Because of all the activity, they were not landing on many people.

As I stood there trying to dodge people walking by, I noticed a beautiful orange butterfly land on my foot.  For a moment, he just hung out there.  So, I stood there as still as I could while enjoying the moment.  I had my phone on record.

As I stood there, the butterfly began to make his way up my leg.  I was not about to move as I was enjoying the experience.  The more I stood still, the higher he climbed.  He then got to my waistline near my shirt and stopped.

I was afraid to move for fear I would scare him away.  Butterflies mean so much to me and I did not want to interrupt what was happening.

Even with all the people milling about, he continued to stay attached to my upper leg.  He was not going anywhere.  I did not want him to leave.

So as I continued to take pictures around me and move around ever so gently, he hung on to my clothes.  For the better part of an hour, he stayed right there with me, never leaving or moving.  I got more comfortable and started walking around the exhibit more, but he stayed with me.

Finally, when it was getting late and I was ready to leave, I had one of the workers lift him from me.  The orange butterfly was so calm and relaxed.  It really struck me as odd that he did not want me to leave and I didn't want him to leave either.

Through the difficult moments I was experiencing, this little butterfly touched me deeply.  It was almost as if he was there letting me know that I was special to him.  He impacted my heart in a way that got through the pain.

I'll never forget the butterfly.  I love the creatures so much, but this one definitely stole my heart.  Realizing that they only live for a short time and what they go through to be born, I'm in awe of what he meant to me.

Sometimes in our deepest darkest moments of hurt, it is the little things that touch us the most.  These are the things that can reach through the pain and help us find a moment of support.  Yes, nature is one of the greatest gifts in life I believe.

Here's a little video of the butterfly (on my Instagram account) crawling up and hanging out with me.  Seeing the video brings tears to my eyes.  I know, you had to be there to experience it firsthand, but hopefully, my little story will help remind you of something important.  If you're down and hurting, connect with nature.  Nature has a way of healing our soul and our pain.

My life was forever changed that day when I was touched by a butterfly.





Blog Post And Images (c) 1/1/18 by Don Shetterly
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Thursday, January 4, 2018

When Life Throws So Much At You

Written By Don Shetterly
I know I am a person with great strength, but right now as I am writing this, it doesn't feel that way.  By the time you read this, hopefully, things will have changed.  I wanted to jot my thoughts down in case others resonated with what I am writing.

In my life, I don't shy away from difficult parts of my healing.  I usually go into them head first when many sometimes do the opposite.  However, with all that has come up and slapped me in the face, I'm seriously reconsidering my philosophy on life.

It has not been easy.  I've wanted to give up a few times.  In many ways, I don't feel like I've got anyone to talk to or ask for help.  It feels like most of the ones I go to, just aren't there this time.  Maybe that's the break to something different.  I don't know.  However, I can tell you it is not an easy place to be in.

During these most recent moments, it has felt like the foundation below my feet dropped out.  At the same time, I've been pushed around by gale force winds that make it hard to regain my footing.  There have been many moments where I questioned, could I even make it through this.  Did I have what it takes?

For me to ask that question means the storms are hitting hard.  I've already been through paralysis and depression, anxiety and suicide.  Not to mention, there was a near-death experience and a complete loss of everything I once knew in life.  I have managed to rise out of the ashes from those experiences, but this moment is taking me to a whole new level.

I'm hunkered down in my cave right now waiting for the storm to subside enough I can step back out into the sunshine.  I'm doing this through spending time alone and writing and creating.  These are the things that I grasp on to when nothing else seems to work.  Nature is also a big part of my comfort and support because nature understands when humans do not.

In many ways, I know and realize that I have made it this far.  In those times of the distant past, I wondered then as well, did I have what it takes?  To realize that my memory was gone and I had to relearn how to walk and do the basics, I can see I made it through those insurmountable odds.


These are the things I carry with me during this time.  They are what keeps me going and stopping me from ultimately giving up.  There have been times recently that I had to really fight to say to my self, "I Know You Can Do This!"

I'm hopeful for easier days.   May the easier moments arrive soon!  I long for a normalness to my day and night.  As I keep reminding myself of words, I share with others, "this too shall pass."










Blog Post And Images (c) 11/30/17 by Don Shetterly
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Tuesday, January 2, 2018

How Far Can You Go?

Written By Don Shetterly
What can you be today in your life?  How far can you go?  What is possible?

We should ask ourselves these are questions continually.  We have the potential to be more than we are at this moment no matter what we are facing.

I have faced insurmountable odds in my life and been told that I'll never regain my life.  I have proved everyone wrong that has said this to me.

We have potential that we often don't realize we do.  When push comes to shove, we can usually rise far about where we are.  In difficulty, that's when we find our strength.

So ask yourself these questions.


  • What can you be today in your life?
  • How far can you go?
  • What is possible?



By asking the question, you are inviting your mind to see life in ways that may not be visible.  You're giving yourself a way forward beyond where you currently are in your life.

Let's start out this year thinking about what can be, not all that is not.

Join with me and give your thoughts in the comments below.






Blog Post And Images (c) 11/30/17 by Don Shetterly
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Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Sometimes We Break Into Many Pieces

Written By Don Shetterly
It is a given in life I think that sometimes things don't go as planned.  Sometimes we break into many pieces.  When this happens, it is never fun, but sometimes it is necessary.

I can look back at my life and see just how many times I felt so broken inside.  The moments where I felt like I could not go on and I would not make it.  Experiences that felt like they were taking me under as I gulped for my last breath of air.

In these moments of life, I felt like I had broken into so many pieces that there would never be a way to put myself together.  I didn't believe at those times that I could go on and make it in life.  In fact, at one point I went through the paralysis of Conversion Disorder. It felt like walking again was a pipe dream.

Through all of those moments, I came to realize that I could make it.  I had more strength within myself than I realized existed at that second.  When I thought there was no more to get, somehow I reached further down and found more strength.

I also came to realize that sometimes when I felt so broken, that it was in those moments where I found my way forward.  It almost took the millions of pieces I had become before I could begin to piece life back together.

In fact, I think for the junk in life I no longer needed, the pieces had to break.  It was the only way out for the stuff that was no longer useful.  If I hadn't broken into many pieces, I would have held on to the things forever.  In the end, I would not have made it without going through this step.

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/2017/09/we-have-answers-within.html

While I know, it isn't easy when your life has been shattered.  I know it is difficult to see that this may result in something good.  I understand that.  However, I know in my own life, and I've got a feeling you do too, that you will make it through this.  I've got a feeling that you'll discover strength you didn't know what was present.

Even though sometimes we break into many pieces, just remember that we can always put ourselves together.  When we do this, we often find a much stronger way of piecing our life back, so we're more prepared to take on so much more in the future!





Blog Post And Images (c) November 28, 2017, by Don Shetterly
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Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Don't Let Them Do It

(Written By Don Shetterly)
In one job I had, the people were treating me horribly and really acting as if I was less than human.  I had the owners of the company calling me an idiot in meetings.  I was getting screamed at for things well beyond my control.  They would have lunches for the office and keep me from eating any of the food.  It was challenging working in the place.

At the time I was seeing a counselor, and she told me a story about when she started doing student teaching as part of her college education requirements.  She walked into the classroom, and the kids were wild and would not listen to her.  No matter what, they treated her with no respect.  So, she finally went to her mentor, and he told her, the best thing she can do is “Don't Let Them Do This!”  She looked at him in disbelief as if it was that easy.

He went on to explain to her that if she mentally walked into the classroom with the mindset that “I’m not going to let them do this to me” that it would help.  She tried it, and it changed everything.  The kids started settling down and respecting her.

So, I went back to the job that I had and tried it.  Now, I’m not going to say everything was magically better or perfect, but the mindset helped.  I just told myself before walking in the office, “Don't Let Them Do It” and I don’t know what happened, but it is almost like they got the message.  They never heard me say those words, but my demeanor must have changed.   I still had some rough moments, but things were not as bad as they once were.

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/02/repecting-one-another.html

I know it isn’t easy because I’ve been picked on and put down in jobs and social situations.  I’m too nice of a guy at times, and sometimes I don’t speak up for myself.  Speaking up for myself does not come easy, but at some point, it is really what I have to do.  I know – it is not easy.

Doing this may take you out of your comfort zone, but sometimes that's where we learn lessons and evolve. It is a process of learning and adjusting to life because there are bullies out there everywhere.  When you’re a nice person, bullies don’t respect you.  I’m not saying to become a bully or be mean, but as I’ve found, I had to learn to stand my ground more.








Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Thursday, September 14, 2017

Reflections On My Birthday


Written By Don Shetterly



As I approach the day I entered this world, I'm drawn to the bigger view and purpose of my life.  If I live to the expected length of life, I'm well past half way through my life.  It makes me stop and pause to contemplate what this means.


I don't care how much I get ahead in this world to make someone else wealthy.  I've already been down that road and I saw how many employers (contract work and regular corporations) only care about their bottom line.  Their employees and contractors are human chum that can be replaced at any time.  I have no desire to be a part of that world any longer.

I don't care how many things I have in life.  In fact, I keep trying to de-clutter and reduce what I already have.  Things are not important to me.  They are temporary.  They are not the human experience to me.  I don't need the latest and greatest phone or electronics or the most beautiful and expensive house and car.  There is far much more important to me than material possessions.

It doesn't matter what the latest gossip of the day is or what celebrity has done what lately.  It doesn't matter if I'm up-to-date on the most recent news headline of the day, for most of it is just fear replicated over and over to the masses.

I see things more clearly now than I ever have in my life.  I see that friends and loved ones are what matters.  Losing people close to me makes all those that come into my life that much more special.

Experiences Are Far More Valuable...

I see memories and experiences being far more valuable than any possession I could buy.  They give me a richness and fullness in life that nothing in a store could ever do.

I see that purpose and personal growth far outweigh anything the masses push as being important.  I know there is more in life and I want to partake of every morsel I can get.

Life is much more about finding myself and growing and learning and loving every facet of life I can discover.  It is about awakening to so much more, not succumbing to the latest water-cooler talk that happens in our day.

I want to make a difference in this world and although I have friends who tell me that I have, I feel that there is so much more to accomplish.  I feel like I have a life that craves much more and sees more.  I feel more, and so things that others may discount become monumental to me.  I cannot hold a blind eye to them.  I cannot shut them off as if they do not exist.

As my life and years proceed, I'm learning to let go and realize that in letting go, I gain so much.  In the letting go of past pain, my life is healing and opening up in ways that I never even could believe were possibilities.

 http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/2016/04/hope-and-possibility-through-trauma.html

Twenty-six years ago today, my life came to a standstill.  I was paralyzed and on my last breaths of air as I tried to travel toward the bright white light.  I heard then, "it is not your time, " and now I understand more and more what those words meant so many years ago.

I have no clue what tomorrow holds for me, but I am content in knowing that today I allow my life to connect with others, hoping that I help them lift their own lives up from pain and despair.  I hope that by learning how to love myself, I can offer and show love to the world, healing it of the pain and distress it is experiencing.

May my life in the next year to come be more than it is today.  May I get to that year marker and look back in awe of possibilities I could not even fathom at this very moment today.







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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Friday, August 25, 2017

Giant Sequoias Thrive On Fire


Written By Don Shetterly



The other day I came across something that I thought was unique.  I didn't know it, and I found it interesting.  Giant Sequoias thrive on fire.


Forest fires actually help these giant sequoia trees.  I've never gotten to see one except in a picture online, but they look like majestic trees.

Fire does not destroy these trees, and in fact, it helps in the germination of the seeds and seedling growth.  Without fire, the seeds are not released, and these trees do not grow.  Besides, fire helps reduce the competition of other species of trees so that the sequoias can grow.

I often think about the stuff I went through as a kid, and it was not easy.  From the sexual abuse to the torture and physical, emotional and mental abuse, my life was not easy.  You could easily say I had been put through the fire.

Without the struggle in my life...

While I struggle to write this thought, I realize that without what I had been through in my life, I would not have become what I am today.  I recognize that, and I hate that statement, but deep down I know it is true for my life.

I'm not condoning abuse in any way, but I know that without it, I could not be there for others in the way that I am.  It is through that experience that I'm able to understand what others have gone through and how I can support them.

Sometimes the fires of life are more challenging than we can accept, but they are there for a reason.  That's my belief of course.  You're free to not believe that if you want.  I just know that in my own life, the fires helped open up a side of me that may not have emerged without it.

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/2017/05/i-did-it-my-way.html

The Giant Sequoias are an example of how nature uses something that destroys most trees to regenerate and help it grow and thrive.  It seems that nature always finds a way to balance things out.

In my own life, I can see the same.  Even though it doesn't make the journey easier, at least I know there is a larger purpose for my life than what I experienced.  I strive to be all that I can be so that I can help others as they walk the treacherous journey healing from abuse.

See this source to Learn More About The Giant Sequoias







Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Friday, July 21, 2017

I Struggle To Let Go


One of the things I believe happens to people who have been traumatized is wanting to remain in control, long after the events are past.   It makes sense in my mind because if control is taken away from you in abuse or other traumatic incidents, then it is the thing that your mind and body attempt to reconcile.

Often we get lost in this during recovery because things just don't fit together.  We strive for a series of events that fit and many times, these events have not surfaced.  It becomes like putting a puzzle together, and the pieces don't fit until you get enough in place to see the puzzle more clearly.

What our rational brain now sees compared to what was happening during the event does not mesh together.  It is like two separate things attempting to operate at the same time, and it just doesn't work.

I struggle to let go of things.  I struggle to let go of control in life.  When this happens, I increase the anxiety and stress in my life.  Yet, even though the best thing for me to do may be letting go, I cling to it as if it is my existence.  I cling to it because it feels familiar.

Unfortunately the more we try to control everything in life, the more difficult we make it.  Sometimes controlling everything is the worst thing we can do, but when you attempt to tell that to a traumatized brain, it laughs in your face as if you know nothing.

These days, there are many ways that most of us don't let go.  You can see it online in social media where someone just has to get that last word or that insult in.  You see in political discussions that no matter what side you are on, someone is not going to let up until they convince you that their ideas are right.

When couples argue, you can see this first hand.  Neither party often wants to give up and let go, for they are right and the other is wrong.  It is so prevalent throughout relationships, and in friends and people we meet every day.

Often times it shows up as "I'm Right, You're Wrong, " but that just brings more harm, strife, stress, and anxiety to the world.  You may prove your point, but you lose all that matters to yourself, your relationships. and your humanity in this world.

It is not easy to let go.  While it may be easy to say or create happy thoughts about letting go, most humans struggle with this.  Even if you're the most enlightened of individuals, this is not easy to do.  We tend to continually hold on to things that we don't need to hold on to in our lives.

Sometimes on social media, I find myself struggling to just walk away from the insults and arguments.  I've had people mock me for being on Oprah, when if they would understand that the show was about male survivors, most likely they would not have been mocking me.

In those times I want to put them in their place, but then I would become just like them.  My mom always told me to not lower myself to their standards, but keep my head held high.  In essence, she was telling me to "just let it go."

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/09/letting-go-in-life.html

I know it isn't easy to let things go.  I struggle with it too, but don't give up that process.  We create a lot of our stress and a lot of anxiety in our lives and the more we can learn to let go, the better off we will be.  It is a continual process of learning and awareness, not just something you write as a happy thought.

Learn from the process, and let the process of learning to let go be your guide to greater awareness and possibility for your future.  That's what I'm striving to do!







Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Sunday, June 11, 2017

my book quote

Yet for so many of us, we go through life feeling as if events and circumstances are in control of who we are.  We are blown by various winds in our day, drenched by the storms, and drawn to pretty colored fake neon signs.  These things take our eyes off our path and draw us away from why we are here.    (Pg 181, Hope And Possibility Through Trauma)











Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Sunday, May 28, 2017

Experiences Made Me What I Am Today

But as I know, all things that I encounter and all the experiences I have had up to this point in my life, have made what I am today.  It is the sum of all the parts of myself with the good, the bad, and the pieces I would greatly like to discard.  Without any of these parts, I would not be who I am today or where I am.  Pg 177, Hope And Possibility Through Trauma









Saturday, May 13, 2017

As We Shed Who We Think We Are



Sometimes it is easy to get complacent and think we've progressed to the point where we fully know ourselves.  Yet, self awareness and growth are a continuous process because the more we get to know about ourselves, the more we are able to see and discover.

As we shed who we think we are, we discover what actually exists.

Don't stop discovering more about your life.  There's much more to you than you can currently see.

Become more conscious and aware.  






Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Thursday, May 11, 2017

Reminded To Play

Often, my days get very busy.  I am usually trying to accomplish so much and it is very easy for me to just forget to stop.  The funny thing is, I try to encourage people to stop in their day and sometimes I really screw it up too!

Hey, we're all human.  Living in a human body is not necessarily an easy thing or a 1-2-3 process.

Every day things change.  Every day we experience new things.  We deal with stress and joy and pain.  We deal with life and sometimes we jump up in the air to celebrate.

The only thing is when I get so busy that I forget to stop and have fun in life, it can be like a sword thrashing around in a small room.  More than likely at some point, the result is not going to be pretty.

Cats are good barometers...

I'm always amazed at my cats because they seem to know when I need to stop and play and get up from my desk.  I'm fortunate to work from home.  My cats are good barometers of things I miss sometimes in myself.

It is amazing to watch the cats because sometimes they both come up wanting attention.  If you don't give it to them, they increase their presence until you stop and pay attention to them.  If you don't give them enough, they just up the stakes and work harder to get your attention.

My cats don't really care if you're writing your masterpiece novel or replying to a tweet.  They just know, it is time for you and them to have some social interaction... and for me to stop - play - have fun!

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/2011/06/cat-knows.html

I like that they help remind me to play.  I need that sometimes.  It is just far too easy for us to get hung up on all the tasks we do or the social media posts we have not read.

Cats (and most likely dogs too) are good barometers to help us stay connected to our self and our mind body.






Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Sunday, May 7, 2017

All Of Your Experiences To This Point

We are what we are in life, and we are what we have not dealt with in our lives.  While that may sound complicated, it is really a simple statement.

All of your sum experiences up until this moment in life have made you the person you currently are.  All the good, bad, ugly, beautiful and even the forgotten moments come together and have created you as a person, a soul, and an entity.  

 - Pg 101, Hope and Possibility Through Trauma, by Don Shetterly

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Listening For The Answer To The Question








Asking the question will bring you to the answer, if you are patient enough to listen.


Sometimes we demand to know what it is that we struggle with in life.  While we may ask the question, we are not often patient enough to listen.  It is in the listening where we will find the answers.  Sometimes listening is not only when we stop to hear, but also in how we take steps forward that feel right to us.

So, don't forget when you ask the question to be patient enough to stop and listen for the answer.

Other #MindBodyThoughts





Sunday, April 2, 2017

Some Fear Is Healthy



A favorite quote of mine from the book, The Wind Is My Mother by Bear Heart.

From page 119, "Some fear is healthy because it makes you cautious.  But when  you're overly afraid of something, you're going to attract that very thing."

Fear is there for a reason.  If we are wise, we will observe and listen to fear to see what it is telling us.  Just like a road sign warning us of something on the road, fear is a road sign for our life, helping us navigate more clearly.  For best results in life, we should not strive to avoid fear, but to embrace it.  For when we embrace it, we will hear its message and reclaim any power we have given over to it.

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Life's Beauty Surrounds Us





In our days, we often miss the beauty that surrounds us.  We get too busy.  We fail to stay aware and conscious and so life's beauty passes us by.  If we're not careful, we will wake up and wonder where it all went.  We will wonder where the years have taken us and how they seem to have disappeared.  Let us behold the beauty in life that surrounds us each day, giving us life and joy and an experience that can never be fully repeated.  It is in the simple moments of observing life's beauty that we come to know the richness of living our lives.


Other #MindBodyThoughts






Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Saturday, March 25, 2017

We Still Stand To Fight Another Day






We Still Stand To Fight Another Day


We all have those moments in life where things get rough.  Sometimes it feels like they will take us under in the moment.  Sometimes we feel like we cannot go on.  We question when they will end.  We question how we will make it through them.  No matter what, sometimes battered by the storm, we still stand to find another day.  Our courage and determination to not give up will see us through to the other side of the storm.  Yes, it may get rough.  Yes, it may be difficult, but we will stand to fight another day.






Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Thursday, March 23, 2017

The Choice Is Up To You

One of the things that I learned a long time ago was just how much I could either impact my life in a good way or continue to go down the path that basically got me nowhere!  The choice was up to me in how I lived my life, how I let go of things in my life, and what I allowed myself to see.

There are far too many operating on autopilot following the crowd of beliefs, opinion and ways of looking at their own health.  Original thought and discovery has for the most part exited the building.  Understanding that we make choices is like a foreign concept.

Yes, people give lip service to these things and then they follow it with a "but" this won't work for me.  Many want to claim they are all knowing and are doing the most they can do, BUT they include the reasons and excuses that it won't work for them.

We are all entitled to our reasons and/or excuses of what works in our life and what doesn't.  I'm not suggesting that whatever reasons we have are invalid or inappropriate.  They may actually have a good basis for existence.  Unfortunately, the reasons become more who we are, rather than who we truly are.

I proved them wrong...

If I would have listened to the doctors years ago, I would have never recovered from Conversion Disorder, walked again and held a job again.  The doctors were reacting from my situation at that point and drawing upon their medical knowledge in the moment, but I proved them wrong.  I was not about to stay down in life.

There have been many times throughout my healing that I felt like I would never make it.  The odds were too great and the struggles were too difficult.  If I would have made the choice to just feel like I couldn't go on or find another way, I would not have made it this far.  I could have done that, but it was a choice that I had to make.

Some might tell me, "you don't understand" or "you're special" or you are different than everyone else.  I've heard many of those reasons of why I made it and others could not.  Yet, I was in those same shoes, doubting and wondering if I could make it.

Believe beyond myself...

It required me to believe beyond myself and keep moving forward even when I could not see what was lying ahead.  It required me to let go of all that I thought I knew and believed and felt was fact in my life, to see what else I was missing.  It required me to go in and not accept the condition I was in, so that I could find the way forward.

Is this easy to do?  No, it is not!  It takes a lot of determination and courage and strength.  It takes someone never giving up even when the odds are stacked against them.  It takes seeing outside of what you think you know to be true that is beyond the blinders we all wear.

The choice is up to you in what you do with life.  Sure, some of us are going to stay where we are no matter what.  That is our choice.  Some of us will try to go into healing and find how difficult it is and stop for an extended rest.  Some of us will shed the shackles were bound with and through determination not stop until we find greater peace in our life.

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/2016/11/some-days-i-struggle.html

In my view, healing from atrocities sucks!  I wish no one had to go through anything, but to this day, the only way I've found to conquer it is by healing through it.  I've learned that I have to muster up all the strength I can and fight through it as I discover things I never knew existed.

What we do with our mind and body is our choice.  Just don't let that choice define your entire existence.  Go beyond it and see what is possible - what is healthy - what is freedom and peace.  Go into the darkness of the unknown so you can find the light of all that there is.







Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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Thursday, March 16, 2017

Dealing With Stress Showing Up In The Body

Note where you may have pain, discomfort or issues happening in the body.  That is the key to dealing with stress showing up in your body along with making the connection to what is happening in life.

The first thing to do when you notice some pain or discomfort is ask this simple question.  What was happening in my life just before this?  Then create a timeline of events.

You don't have to make this a difficult exercise, just go with what comes to your mind in that moment.  Usually the important facts are right on the tip of your tongue.

If you haven't read the other part to this blog post, make sure you read
Where Does Stress Show Up?

If you start to look at what is happening around the time the pain or discomfort is showing up, you might just find a key that helps you interact with your life differently.  Awareness of what is going on helps lead you to the point of making different choices.

Without that knowledge or awareness, you're missing key bits of information that could alter and change your physical reality or even your mental reality.  We can impact our lives so much and our physical bodies even though we forget that we can.

Go in and feel...

When you think you've discovered what the events were that brought on the pain, try to go in and feel that.  Take a look at it.  Is there anything you can change or alter?  Is it trying to show you something?  It it attempting to connect you with something that you need to do differently in life?

Feel and sense the pain in your body while making the connection.  See what movement or connection you can make to help let it go.  Sounds and very slow connected movements can do wonders to help alleviate stress in addition to breath work.

That's the first part and after that, it is up to you in how you proceed with the knowledge and awareness you have.  It is up to you how you find ways to work with letting that physical stress go. We can of course keep beating our head against the proverbial brick wall, but if we understand that we can interact with our own biology, than we're on the road to making positive changes in our life.

Dealing with stress showing up in our body takes us out of numbing and disconnect.  It brings us back into our body where we can interact with it in a much deeper level.  Someone once said, "Know Thyself" and through the body interaction with pain, we will truly begin to know thyself.

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/2016/05/maladaptive-problem-solving.html

Unfortunately most of us go on autopilot every day of our life trying to get from one activity to the next, one job task to the next and ignoring the greater parts of our life.  If we just stop and notice at some point during our day, we could alleviate much of our suffering.  Numbing and disconnect gets us nowhere, but as humans we tend to keep repeating that which does not work.

This is not just a mental exercise of thoughts and thinking positive.  This is learning to interact with not only our thoughts, but their connection in the body.  If you stop and notice and observe, you will see them, but if you only focus on the mental aspect, you will miss half the healing that is readily available.

It is truly up to us what we allow ourselves to do and how we interact with our biology.  We make the choice.  We can choose to avoid it or we can choose to go in and take a look, thereby giving us a greater awareness of the body we inhabit.




Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly
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