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Showing posts from February, 2020

It's Okay to Have Limits: Putting your attention in the right place

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Due to a rare muscular dystrophy, my muscles can only tolerate a certain amount of walking, standing, and sitting at one time. Even lying down has its challenges, depending on my positioning. These limits create a challenge for chores, hobbies, and daily living. Yet for many years, I focused my attention in the wrong places. Intellectually, I knew these physical limitations were there, but when I was in the middle of loading the dishwasher, mingling at a social gathering, or at the computer writing, I didn't want to stop, so I powered through to complete the task. I got the rush of accomplishment, but then a few hours later, I paid for it in muscle pain and exhaustion. While recovering, usually on the couch with a book or with the television, I admonished myself for skipping the laundry, putting off a project, or otherwise not being productive. All I could see as I looked around was every unfinished chore, and I felt the judgment and shame building. I needed to change my vi