Celebrating the holidays differently. What gift can you give yourself?

Are you ready to begin 2022? Did you have a great Holliday season? What was your favorite gift? A special pillow to help you sleep? New softer shoes for your morning walk? Have you thought about your current quality of life? What would make it better, easier, happier?

One of the things we learn to do in Mindfulness is to reward ourselves for our kindness and generosity to others. It is now time to reward yourself. Don’t put it off because you don’t want to be a bother or appear to be selfish.

Last year we had wonderfully creative responses to our “Quality of Life” gifts for ourselves and sometimes each other since we do share a lot of experiences. I went crazy and committed to a number of personal gifts. Here I go…..tellling you what they were and how I got them. Up front, I will let you know that this experience took the entire year 2021 and made me think twice about overdoing it in 2022.

Here we go……
1. I gifted myself with a second weekly session of MFR during which I have two MFR therapists. As a result I am pretty “steady as you go” and suffer less from SFN pain and fatigue.
2. I consulted a physician about my cranky hip thinking I might be able to have it replaced. Surprise, surprise……the X-ray showed is was just a bursa and cortisone injections should keep it under control.
3. 10 years ago I had my first TKR and it has been perfectly supportive of my need to walk and do yoga. Within the last two years, my other knee began to beg for help. Knowing how long the recovery might be, I started last spring with a goal of doing whatever it might take to be able to use that knee. I was no longer going to need an injection and a string of wheel chairs to fly to Texas and visit the grandchildren. Once again I was impressed with the technological advances available for a TKR. I chose a great young surgeon who was well trained in robotic surgery. It wasn’t all so simple but remember that @johnbishop had told me that regardless of whatever else you do……..be sure and do both pre and post surgery exercises. Right there…..my quality of life jumped several categories of strength and stamina. Today…..four months later…..I rarely even think about my knee.
4. What I have been stewing about is the thumb surgery I had on Dec 9th. With a tendon from my arm transferred to the joint in my thumb……I found this surgery to be challenging. At least I got it done and completed my “Quality of Life” gifts to myself for 2021…..just in time for 2022 to rear its demanding head.

I do want to share that developing the list and taking care of the issues has not been easy. Recovery from orthopedic surgery can be quite tedious. So for 2022 I am tackling two very different health incentives. I want to be able to hear the dialogue in movies without blasting the neighbors. So I will be starting the learning process right here on Connect for hearing assistance. It would also be great to stay on course with my eye issues, dry eye plus some beginning macular degeneration.

It's your turn. Give it some thought. My big gift to myself this year is to bring my grandchildren and daughter to Adam's Landing for my 80th birthday. They all got air ticket certificates for Christmas..

Now it is your turn.........time to let us know what you are choosing to enhance your quality of life in 2022.

May you be free, protected and safe from inner and outer harm.
Chris

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