It is almost the new year which means new beginnings! Resolutions will be made and broken. Personally I do not like New Years Resolutions because people tend to make goals that are over exaggerated and blown out of proportion. Then when they do not accomplish the goal they feel guilty or a sense of failure. The one good thing is that if you failed it means you tried! No one is a failure if you don’t give up and keep trying 
So I came up with this idea “Wellness Challenge 2012.” Instead of making a big New Years Resolution I was thinking as a group we can make little ones that are good for our health throughout the year. So lets say your goal is to eat less processed food. That is huge thing to do all at once. Maybe at first you can integrate more fresh veggies in your diet and by doing that you have reached a “Wellness Challenge 2012.” goal. Maybe you want to start exercising. With Chronic illness you can not just jump up and start running you have to start off slow. So you get up and start out with stretching. That is a “Wellness Challenge 2012″ goal! The point of this is that every small step you take towards wellness is amazing and you should be commended for it and you will have the support of others with chronic illnesses that will be encouraging you to keep taking small steps towards better health. To someone that is well you doing stretches might seem “nonproductive” or “not a big deal.” It is a HUGE deal that you put forth that effort and those that understand will encourage you as well as you encouraging them! That is why I want to do this! I want everyone to be proud of themselves for taking these small steps!
Starting January 1,2012. I am going to put up a post daily on FibroTV’s facebook page with the logo bellow and I would like all of you to share what you did for that day to encourage your body towards wellness. You can post about something you did physically, mentally/emotionally, or spiritually. This post will be used to track your goals and accomplishments no matter how big or small and to to encourage others on their journey towards wellness! There will be no judgement only encouragement in this posts. Everyone has a different path they take and not one path is wrong or right. Anyone is welcome to participate! I am hoping to get more groups involved. They can even do their own version of it on their group or page! So what do you all think? You think you are up for the challenge?
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.
~Henry Ford
Jen,
I LOVE that you included mentally/emotionally and spiritually as part our accomplishments! I suffered in those areas comparing myself physically to “normal” people. Now my self esteem doesn’t take quite a beating (not perfect yet!) because I accomplish things based on my own values, not someone else measuring me for what I can do. One thing fibro and CFS has done for me is force me to do work in my mental/emotional/spiritual life or end up suffering even more.
Thanks for this, I’ll be following!
Mary Ellen
what a great idea. i am in a small weightloss group, maybe i could incorporate this into the group. thanks annette
Great idea, I’m in.
Jen this is a fabulous idea! Do you mind if I share with the FibroHaven Group?
Thank you for this. I too seem to compare myself to others who don’t have my health issues. In the last 2 years I have had 3 surgeries and two car accidents (neither were my fault but I received injuries in both). With that record you can see why my fibromialgia is in bad shape. The last accident was on 12/26/11. Thank God I have no serious injuries but I do have bad bruising and body pain. Today my goal is to rest with short walks (5 minute) every hour or so and follow my Dr’s advice. Also I need to work on remaining positive!
Great idea! All the small steps we take do make a big difference.
Today I have turned the music up and drown out all the pain, anxiety and stress. Creating my own paradise for a couple hours and refreshing my brain with beautiful lyrics…. Life is calm for that moment and I smile….