Loss, Perspective and Walking a Different Path.....

As I sit here writing this — day three of a headache that won’t quit, muscles still sore from a weeding session four days ago (recovery takes so much longer now) — I can’t help but wonder: how many of you are out there just like me?

More ideas than energy. More inspiration than stamina. Big plans... but a body that won’t cooperate.

Having a chronic illness is like playing Let’s Make a Deal. You never know what’s behind each door: A high-energy day? Or the booby prize of fatigue, pain, and symptoms that won’t quit? Will I meet a kindred spirit who nods in solidarity — “You got this, and I got you”? Or will it be another, “You don’t look sick,” or worse, “Really? You’re sick again?”

No. Not again. Still.

Let me be clear: I’m not sharing this for attention or pity — I’d rather hide in my closet sucking my thumb than accept either. And honestly, even on hard days, I’m grateful it’s not worse.

I’m sharing this so you know: you’re not alone.

It’s also to show — I hope — that you can still reach your goals, even when life throws up roadblocks. Many women, especially those who give too much for too long, experience losses. Not just loss of loved ones, but loss of identity, power, independence, or the ability to trust your own body.

Crohn’s disease has brought me many of these. I’ve lost mobility, independence, self-esteem. But I’ve also learned this: I still have control over my attitude, my creativity, my spirit, and my perspective. No one can take those.

I’ve adjusted the rhythm of my life. Some days, my body calls the shots. And yes, I still get angry at it sometimes — especially when I have a long to-do list. But I try to give myself grace. I save low-effort tasks for flare days. And on the worst ones, when even my brain checks out, I let myself rest. Rest is not failure — it’s restoration.

Those are the days I meditate, scan my inner garden, and ask: what needs tending? What hurts, and what is it trying to say? My guides often speak loudest on the days I can’t do anything but listen. They remind me: screw the to-do list. If I died tomorrow, the dishes wouldn’t matter.

Perspective.

That’s a cornerstone of my work. When I help a client use intent to shift perspective, transformation begins.

So try this: Imagine you're 90 years old, reflecting on your life. Ask yourself:

• What do I want inscribed on my headstone?

• How do I want to be remembered?

• What would I do differently, if I could?

• What do I regret not doing?

Your answers can show you:

• What matters most

• What doesn’t deserve your worry

• Where your focus belongs now

• How to make decisions aligned with your deeper truth

  
  

Perspective changes everything.

So if today is a hard day — if you're lying low with a heating pad and a head full of undone tasks — know this:

You’re not falling behind. You’re simply following a different rhythm. Honor it - give yourself grace.

Know that you can still grow. Still become. Still dream - and bring those dreams to life. It will happen on your own terms, in your own time, on your own path. It's not about perfection or who gets to the finish line first. It's about the journey and the lessons along the way. It's about progress - not perfection.

If you ever need a companion on the path — someone to walk beside you and give you that nod of empowerment — I’m here. Not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone who's walking it, too.

In sisterhood,

Laurie