Our Blog
Stories on living simple, sustainable & meaningful lives, with and without chronic illness.
Stories on living simple, sustainable & meaningful lives, with and without chronic illness.
Here at LiveKen we’re passionate about helping others live simple, sustainable and meaningful lives. As we embark on our own journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life, we share our insight and stories to help raise awareness, inspire and empower others to make similar changes with and without chronic illness. We work closely with local Councils, businesses and community groups to help support change in the wider community and encourage people to live a life that is meaningful to them by increasing understanding and empowering community action. We have over 10 years of experience working with businesses and local communities to create changes towards more sustainable actions, and have personal experience with living with invisible chronic illnesses which allows us to advocate for those with these conditions.
Raising awareness of invisible illnesses. The Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang picture book is a useful tool for explaining invisible illness symptoms such as pain and fatigue.
We share stories about living simple, sustainable and meaningful lives, with and without chronic illness.
We work and live by our values with a strong focus on community engagement, sustainability, and being open and honest.
Living a simple, sustainable and meaningful life.
It’s my birthday and I’ve finally found some time to write! As you’ve probably guessed I haven’t found the time and energy to write regular posts for the blog during this pregnancy. As I mentioned in my last post, where I announced the pregnancy, I want to discuss what this pregnancy has been like for […]
You may have noticed I’ve been missing in action lately. There is a very good reason for this and it’s time to make an announcement… Life has taken a major turn in the last 6 months. Not only did we launch the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang picture book in September last year, and […]
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you! I’ve been missing in action lately and early in the new year I’ll do a few posts explaining why. For now though, I’d like to talk to you about a book I’ve been reading over the last few months; Life Beyond Chronic Pain : The Step […]
The CIB Holiday Giveaway will run from Nov. 23 – Dec 3, 2016. This giveaway is sponsored by Chronic Illness Bloggers. Prizes have been donated by the following: Alisha Nurse – https://theinvisiblef.com/ Aromafloria – http://www.aromafloria.com BackPainBlogUK – https://backpainbloguk.wordpress.com/ Bridgwater Crafts – http://www.bridgwatercrafts.com/ BeingFibroMom – http://www.beingfibromom.com Broken Teepee – http://brokenteepee.com/ Chronically Content – http://www.chronicallycontent.com Chronic Mom […]
I’ve joined a fantastic group of Chronic Illness Bloggers and this month we’ve decided to do a post across several of our blogs using a common theme. The theme for October is our Top 3 worst symptoms and what we do to try and help manage them. If you blog about life with a chronic illness, […]
On Saturday, 24 September 2016, we held a book launch party to celebrate the completion of the long awaited Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang picture book. I say “long awaited: because the book has been almost 3 years in the making and I first got support from the community through a Kickstarter campaign in March 2014. […]
Hello, yes I’m still here and still alive. Today I want to talk to you about remembering to Say No. I’ve been wanting to write this post for a few weeks now but have struggled to find time when Foggy Frog isn’t being a pain! With so much going on, writing this post has been […]
“It’s all in your head!” “(S)He’s just faking it to get out of (work/school/insert activity here)” ” It can’t be that bad!” “It must be good to be able to do what you want, when you want” “You just need to (exercise, eat this, do that) more/less” 1 in 5 people live with […]
Children’s Book Makes Invisible Illnesses Visible For Immediate Release Contact: Megan Schartner foggyfrog (at) liveken.com for further information or to schedule interviews. Adelaide, South Australia, 4 August 2016 Author, Megan Schartner, is pleased to announce the release of Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang, a picture book aimed explaining invisible illnesses causing chronic pain and fatigue, in […]
A lot’s been happening around here lately! Preparations are underway for the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang Book Launch and the AAEE 2016 Conference. I’ve also added a bit more variety to my exercise routine by joining the new local gym (Council owned and operated). The main reason I’ve joined is so that I could […]
It’s been over a week since I last posted. Between my major projects (Foggy Frog book and AAEE 2016 Conference) and the weather here it’s been difficult to find time to write here. Yesterday, just as I was about to write my post, the power went out at home. It was out most the day […]
Imagine waking every day and being unsure about what you’ll be able to achieve that day. You may wake up to pain levels so high that even rolling over in bed is too painful, or maybe your energy is so low that you can’t even get your eyes to open properly… Maybe, like me, you […]
We’re halfway through the year, so I thought I’d do another Taking Stock as well as answering the Share Your World questions. In fact, given that the 4th question in Share Your World is a ‘Currently List’, they fit together well. Taking Stock – June 2016 The concept is really simple, a snapshot of where you […]
“Are you feeling better? You’re looking good!” The other day, E and I were out celebrating the birthday of one of our friends. It was a dinner and dessert event, which meant a late night for me. Because I knew we were having a late night I’d spent most the day doing quiet activities like […]
Winter is definitely here in Adelaide now and I’ve been trying to stay warm inside by the fire the last few days. It’s been nice to spend time snuggled with the cats in front of the fire. Here’s this weeks, Share Your World post. Share Your World – Week 25 How many languages do you you […]
This morning I was reading a post from my friend Julie Ryan over at Counting My Spoons where she shared a bit about the rough times she’s going through at the moment and how she’s trying to cope with them. A lot of what she’s talked about in that post, slowing down and focusing on perspective […]
Another week has gone by and we’re back for another round of Share You World. I’ll apologise up front if my answers don’t make any sense but I’m writing this after a busy morning out and I feel like there’s a giant cloud around my head at the moment. Anyway, here we go… Share Your World […]
Back in December of last year, I answered a reader’s question about pacing and working. In this post I talked about some of the issues we face when we’re attempting to work with a chronic illness. We talked about our inability to be consistent and some simple tips and tricks for trying to avoid crashes […]
I’m finally starting to feel better so I’ll probably be back to two posts a week next week once I’ve caught up with everything else that has been on hold since I’ve been sick. For now, here’s my “Share Your World” again. 🙂 Share Your World – Week 23 What was one of your first moneymaking […]
I’m still recovering from my cold. The cold symptoms have all but gone away (just a cough left) but I now need to rebuild my energy levels before I’m capable of doing much else so once again only one short post this week focusing on Share Your World. Because of Memorial Day in America, Cee […]
Only the one post this week (Share Your World) as I’ve been unwell all week. Catching a cold on top of chronic illness makes everything so much more difficult and today is the first day I’ve felt well enough to do much at all. Yesterday there were protests around the world to raise awareness of Myalgic […]
Another week over already! This week was busy so my posts are closer together. Yesterday I shared my week with you, today it’s time to Share Your World.. Share Your World – Week 20 When do you feel most connected with others? I feel most connected with others when I’m able to talk meaningfully with […]
I meant to do this post last week for May 12 International Awareness Day but brain fog made me forget the date and I didn’t have the energy last week to write it anyway so here it is today… A week in my life A little background for those of you who haven’t been following […]
It’s that time of the week again – Share Your World! Share Your World – Week 19 You win a pet monkey but this isn’t just any old monkey. It can do one trick for you whenever you want from getting a pop out of the fridge to washing your hair. What would be the […]
E and I had a wonderful weekend away connecting with nature! As well as catching up with friends on the first night, we spent a fair bit of time alone on the beach near our Ecopod accomodation. I was glad I had the energy for walks along the beach and really enjoyed just sitting there […]
Because we’re going away for the weekend (we’ll have left by the time you’re reading this) I’m keeping this post short and snappy today… Let’s Share Your World Share Your World – Week 18 Who was your best friend in elementary school? We don’t have ‘elementary’ school here in Australia, but I believe it’s the […]
A few weeks ago I read a post by Mer over at Knocked over by a feather about 50 little things. It got me thinking about writing my own list… 50 random things about me I’m passionate about living a simple, sustainable and meaningful life with my illnesses. I do this by making as many […]
The No Buy Challenge is over, but Share Your World continues each week. This week I have made one big purchase (new undies from Lunapads) but other than that I’ve stuck to my No Buy guidelines even though the challenge is ended. I knew before the end of the challenge that I needed to get […]
Moving… Making choices, clearing room Time to think, to stretch, to value, to love Being present, living life Over the last few months I’ve focused on building up my exercise levels to a point that I can maintain a consistent exercise regime including stretches, a relatively consistent step count, and regular bike rides on my electric bike. […]
I was going to share how my first attempt at making sourdough went on Tuesday, but that post ended up so long already I decided to save my update until today. It’s also time for Share Your World! Sourdough Update Last week I let you know about the starter that I had made for homemade […]
We’ve reached the end of our 20 Week No Buy Challenge and over the weekend Rach and I caught up to celebrate our successes. In keeping with the No Buy theme, we celebrated with a homemade lunch of soup and sourdough bread with a glass of sparkling wine followed by homegrown peppermint tea and homemade […]
I forgot to write about the No Buy Challenge in my last few posts and we’ve now got only one week left to go so before I do my Share Your World post, here’s a quick update… This past week I did ‘buy’ one thing that isn’t in my usual purchases, but I don’t see […]
Last week as part of Cee’s Share Your World post, I shared a list of my favourite childhood foods including Golden Dumplings. I was asked if I could share the recipe for this particular dish… The recipe comes from an old cookbook my mum had at home, it was so well used that when a […]
I’m having a fairly busy week with meetings and appointments so only the one post this week, let’s Share Your World. Only a week and a half to go with our No Buy Challenge and apart from a couple of small side steps early on, I seem to be going well and so does Rach. […]
The year is going by so fast and we’re now a quarter of the way through it! I’m still working on slowing down and finding a pace that allows me to feel balanced and unstressed. By doing this I’m hoping to find a way to continue my slow upwards progression with my health and avoid […]
I have low Testosterone levels… It’s not something you normally hear about in women. Before I get started on today’s post, I hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter weekend. We spent it in the bush camping helping friends set a rogaine for later this year. Most days I hung around the campsite, with a […]
Just a short post today, as we’re heading off for the holidays; a weekend of camping with friends. So let’s Share Your World! Wanting something to quench your thirst, what would you drink? Water, maybe carbonated water… Apart from these I mainly drink tea. It’s not often that I’d have a soft drink or anything […]
One of the most popular posts on the blog here seems to be the 100 Goal Challenge post, so I thought I’d do an update on where I’ve gotten in almost 2 years. As a reminder I broke my goals down into my Defining the Best ME categories (Mental, Physical, Wisdom) with some actions fitting into […]
No chatting today, instead straight into the Share Your World questions… Share Your World Week 11 How many siblings do you have? What’s your birth order? I have two siblings, a brother and a sister. I’m the oldest, my sister is four years younger than me and my brother is two years younger than her. […]
Over the weekend, in between the many social events we had on, we picked up a secondhand electric bike for me to use. This means I can now add riding into my exercise regime, but it also means I need to be aware of how I’m coping and adjust my activity levels to fit this […]
Hi All, Before I get into Share Your World for this week I wanted to share an interesting day that’s coming up soon. Now, there seems to be some confusion about which day it actually is but sometime in the next week it’s National Napping Day. I’m unclear about whether this is an American day […]
A Quick No Buy Challenge Update then on to Family Planning: Although I was tempted by some of the clearance sales in town (hello fluffy warm down jacket) I did not make any purchases this week that weren’t experience related and shared with those that are important to me. I had lunch with my sister […]
I can’t believe we’re 9 weeks into the year and another month is here already! It’s not too late to join in if you want to participate in Cee’s Share Your World Challenge. It’s simple, each week she provides a list of questions for us to answer. Share Your World – Week 9 Have you done […]
The No Buy Challenge is going reasonably well, there was one purchase this week which I’m unsure if it was breaking my own guidelines or not… It fits into being social but is something we could probably have held off on… New additions to one of our games (card based two player Lord of the […]
This week is going to be a one post week so just Share Your World. Tuesday ended up being a full day with appointments and work, and the last few weeks have finally caught up with me and I’m going through a bit of a crash, so I didn’t manage to write my usual post […]
Jumping straight in today so here we go… Share Your World – Week 7 What are you a “natural” at doing? I’m a natural at engaging with babies/younger children. When they’re really young, I can usually get them to settle in my arms. Older, they seem to be attracted to me and want me to […]
I did some shopping this week… There, I got that off my chest. I didn’t break my rules for the 20 week no buy challenge, but I did buy things I wouldn’t normally buy (they were on my to-buy list a long time. If you’re a regular reader you’d be aware that I’ve yet again […]
Wow, a long list of questions this week from Cee for Share Your World… Let’s see how I go 🙂 Share Your World – Week 6 What is your favorite word? I struggled with this one, but finally settled with ‘Dream’. It’s important to have dreams and to work towards them. What is your least favorite […]
I had a wonderfully full weekend and got to catch up with several friends I hadn’t seen in a while and I’m doing well with the No Buy Challenge. It was fairly hot here over the weekend which (although impacting on energy levels) made for great weather for a trip to the beach and time […]
The questions this week have been very thought provoking and I’ve struggled with a few of them but here we go… Let’s Share Your World! If you had a shelf for your three most special possessions (not including photos, electronic devices and things stored on them, people or animals), what would you put on it? […]
Another week down in the No Buy Challenge and another week of sticking to the goals. I’ve decided that instead of focusing my posts on the challenge each week (I will if there’s anything to update you on) I’d start doing some of the other posts I’ve been planning with just a short update at […]
I can’t believe it’s almost the end of January already and we’re up to week 4 of Share Your World 2016 ! So far this year I’ve been struggling to maintain my balance. If I look at it from a week or month point of view I’m doing ok but on a daily basis I’m […]
We’re quickly approaching the half way point in our 20 Week No Buy Challenge and so far there haven’t been too many difficult decisions I’ve needed to make. Over the last week in fact, I’ve given away a lot more items then we’ve had come into the house which feels great. On the weekend Rach […]
Today I’m seeing my doctor to follow up on the side effects and blood test results. I’m feeling very frustrated with myself lately. Thanks to the side effects I’ve been struggling to do any work, even writing these Share Your World posts is taking me many times longer than normal. Share Your World: Week 3 What […]
Another successful week for the No Buy Challenge. I’ve been so busy dealing with health related activities and issues that I haven’t had a chance to do any shopping at all. 🙂 There were a few things I was tempted by, but I managed to either find alternatives or get past the temptation. On Sunday we […]
Balance… My word for 2016… is difficult to achieve. I’ve got many ideas for posts but, in an attempt to maintain my balance, you’ll find for the next few weeks at least you will only be getting 2 posts a week from me… My No Buy Challenge update and this, my Share Your World post (although […]
Over the last week I’ve done well with the No Buy Challenge and haven’t spent any money (on myself – my husband and I bought a few things together for the house but that is outside of my challenge as I’m doing this as an individual challenge). There were a few times when I felt […]
Last year was not a successful year for me in terms of blogging. Not only did I not post much but the posts I was getting up weren’t that popular. So this year I’ve decided to get back to the sort of posting I was originally doing. Instead of just posting about things related to living […]
It’s been 2 weeks since my last update for the No Buy Challenge. During that time we’ve had lots of time with family and friends celebrating Christmas and the New Year. This kept purchasing to a minimum but there were Boxing Day Sales (and Closing Down Sales) in a few places that we checked out. […]
Last year I chose one word to guide me through the year… Enough. I’ve recently found out from The Bloggess that there is a #oneword2016 Challenge and seeing I was already planning to choose a single word, I’ve decided to participate. The one word you choose is meant to be something that will help you focus […]
It’s Christmas Eve and celebrations have begun for our family. During this time of celebration and busyness, don’t forget to look after yourself. I know that, for our family at least, it is definitely a very busy few days and so over the last few years I’ve had to learn a few ways to manage […]
In regards to my health, I’ve struggled a lot again this last week thanks to the continued changes in weather. Pain and fatigue have been constant and the few days I’ve been a little better (and some of the bad days) have been busy thanks to appointments/social events. Given all of this it hasn’t been too […]
Another week has past and the No Buy challenge is going well. You can check out Rach’s week in review here. Thanks to my energy being so low the majority of my week was spent at home either listening to audio books or reading. During the week, my only outings were dinner with my husband’s […]
I’ve lived with chronic illness to some extent my whole life but for the last 2 1/2 years illness has been a major contributing factor in my life. One thing I’m noticing more and more as I learn to accept, and live with, my chronic illnesses and the disabling symptoms they impose on my daily […]
It’s been a week since Rach and I started our 20 Week no buy challenge and I may have already gone against my lists…. Let’s have a quick overview of the last week. The weather here has been very hot and variable. Because of these weather changes my health has also been all over the place […]
I’ve been so excited to hear from you all about your thoughts on the most recent A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. One of the questions I’ve been asked to share more about is how work fits in to pacing with a chronic illness. One reader in particular approached me with her […]
Wow, I can’t believe it’s December already! I’m so happy that I managed to make it through the last month of daily posts for National Blog Posting Month. It was a struggle but I made it thanks to being able to schedule a few posts in advance each week to cover days that I would […]
Thank you for joining us on this journey towards more simple, sustainable and meaningful lives. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and concepts discussed are relevant to everyone and anyone. For more information on each point of the A-Z Guide, please click […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we have been exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Thank you for joining us on this journey towards more simple, sustainable and meaningful lives. Over the last month we’ve talked about a lot that we need […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at Y… Yes. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
I’ve teamed up with Julie from Counting My Spoons, Donna from February Stars and Fed Up With Fatigue, AshleyJane from Living Incurably and Alisha from The Invisible F to run a Rafflecopter giveaway just in time for Christmas. It’s not just any giveaway, it’s the Ultimate Spoonie Giveaway! What can you win? There will be five lucky winners: 1 Ultimate Spoonie […]
THE ULTIMATE SPOONIE GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED I’m taking a break today from our A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life to share with you an exciting opportunity to win some amazing prizes in time for Christmas. I’ve teamed up with Julie from Counting My Spoons, Donna from February Stars and Fed Up With Fatigue, AshleyJane from […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at X… eXperiment. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at W… Wonder. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at V… Values. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at U… Unplug. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at T… Transform. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
The weather here has been up and down with some extreme heat over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, this weather isn’t conducive to me being at my best. I have been struggling a lot over the last week in particular with very high pain and fatigue levels. Keeping up with the daily blog posts and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at S… Space. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at R… Reflection. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at Q… Quality. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Yet again life got in the way and I didn’t get time to write my post today. I was meant to be writing about Quality but that will have to wait for tomorrow. Instead I’m going to do a very short post about an important event that’s happening in my life this week… Friday is […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at P… Pacing. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at O… Outdoors. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at N… Needs. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at M… Mindful. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at L… Learn. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and concepts […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at K… Know. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and concepts […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at J… Joy. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at I… Inspire. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at H… Health. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at G… Give. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at F… Faith. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at E… Enough. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at D… Delegate. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at C… Community. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Today we’re looking at B… Budget. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics and […]
Join me on a journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. Throughout November we will be exploring each category of the A-Z guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life starting today with A… Acceptance. This guide has been written from the point of view of someone living with chronic illness but the topics […]
It’s that time of year again… November is the month that many people spend writing. Some, like Rachel from when paper met pen, will spend it writing a first draft of a novel they have in mind. Others, like myself, will attempt to write a post every day for the month of November. This year […]
I apologise in advance for a long post… This is an intro to our A-Z Guide to a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. So far this blog has focused a lot on my life since being diagnosed with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia and Pelvic Congestion Syndrome but I want to broaden it now because I am not my […]
Imagine waking up one day and finding that your whole life has changed. Just like that you couldn’t be who you thought you were. One day you are happily working full time in a job that makes you feel like you’re making a difference. You’re keeping healthy by visiting the gym most days of the […]
I’ve mentioned many times about trying to maintain some form of routine and pacing as a way of managing my health. Now it’s something I need to refocus on. I’ve got goals and dreams that I want to achieve within the next few years, and in order to do them I need to be as […]
What is ‘normal’? I don’t think I’ve ever been what someone would classify as ‘normal’ but for the most part I’m happy with who I am. Ever since I was young I haven’t been normal: I don’t cope with late nights and I never really did. Even before the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Fibromyalgia reared their […]
It’s been a while since I’ve done a post, either here or over at LiveKen, and I’ve decided it’s time I get myself back on track. So I have to consider what causes my crashes and flares! Why haven’t I been posting? I just haven’t had the energy or the time to do it. Over […]
As I mentioned last week, it’s National Pain Week in Australia this week. I will be sharing my story over at the National Pain Week website and at My Invisible Life later in the week. I’ll also be talking to local media, starting with ABC Riverland Today at 10:45 this morning. Living with chronic pain can be frustrating, overwhelming […]
It’s been a while since we’ve done a post here at LiveKen and there’s a reason for that! We’ve been busy running our first online workshop, Back to Basics: A life with Meaning. We’re into week 4 of the 6-week workshop now and I have to say I’m very happy with how it’s going. I’m […]
The atmosphere here at LiveKen is buzzing as we put the final touches on our Back to Basics Meaningful Life workshop, which will be starting on Monday. It’s not too late to join us. For just AUD$19.95, you can join us and begin your journey towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life. If you haven’t yet […]
Over the last year or two I’ve been decluttering our house to help create a simple living environment. A big part of that has been reducing the amount of clothing and accessories I own to only those that I actually love, feel comfortable in, and enjoy wearing all the time. Janelle has previously shared a […]
I turned 30 last weekend. Those of you who follow us on Facebook or Twitter would be aware that my husband’s 30th was only a few weeks earlier. We decided to do a joint party on my birthday (it was Saturday) and invited friends and family to join us. We had an amazing day with close […]
Today is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Fibromyalgia and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) Awareness Day. #May12BlogBomb Last year, to help raise awareness, I wrote a letter to my illness over on My Chronic Life Journey as part of a blogging campaign begun by Sally Burch over at Just ME (#May12BlogBomb). This year I’m participating again. The […]
Are you looking for a simple, sustainable & meaningful life? We’ve taken the plunge, and are planning to share our journey with you and help you start your own journey via a 6-week online workshop. The workshop will cover the following topics: What makes life meaningful for us? Identifying our values, passions, and life goals […]
HEALTH – an acronym and guide for living your own simple, sustainable and meaningful life Hopes and Dreams – Just because you’re not as healthy as you once were, doesn’t mean you need to roll over and forget about everything you ever wanted to do in you life. You are still you, and with a […]
I missed yesterday’s #HAWMC post on Stress Awareness so I’m combining it with today’s topic… Travel. Managing stress is a vital part of learning to live with chronic illness. Especially with conditions like Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) which can be exacerbated by stress. Even for a healthy person stress can have a negative impact […]
When you live every day with chronic pain and fatigue it can sometimes be difficult to remember what it’s like to feel good, to feel ‘normal’. It’s important though to not focus just on your symptoms but to find at least something each and every day to be grateful for. Something that will make you […]
Yesterday I took the day off. Not only did I not allow myself to do any work, I attempted to completely avoid technology as well. As you’ll see below I wasn’t quite successful in this second quest but the day was still worth it. Why take a whole day off? It seems counterproductive when you’re […]
You are what you eat That’s the saying… It’s World Health Day today and the focus is on safe food. As a result, the WEGO health activist writer’s challenge is focused on nutrition and diet today. Last month we talked about eating locally and how you can support your local farmers, and today I’m going to talk about […]
In March 2013, my life was full of structure and routines. I worked full time, studied (almost full time), visited the gym at least 3 x a week (usually 5-6 x a week), and spent time with family and friends. Then my life came crashing down around me. Suddenly I was in so much pain […]
As those of you who follow us on social media would be aware, I’m participating in WEGO Health‘s Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge. Here at LiveKen we are on a journey to discover what a simple, sustainable and meaningful life is for us. On this journey we have discovered that recognising that we are enough […]
Earth Hour 2015 – Eating Locally Like Megan said in her last post, this month our focus is on supporting local food produce growers and providers. We have chosen this as our focus because that is the theme of Earth Hour 2015 in Australia. As many of you would know, Earth Hour will be held […]
Today’s post is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It’s been a while since I’ve done a post so I wanted to share a bit about what I’ve been through the last few months plus bring your attention to our focus for the month of March, Local Food. Pain Management […]
Like Megan’s last post, I will be sharing with you my 100 Goal Challenge. This challenge came about for Megan last year when she was reading a self-help book that focused on getting the reader to conduct activities that would help to identify your passions in life. The book is titled It starts with Passion by […]
[dropcap color=”orange” background=”green” style=”rounded” size=”small”]E[/dropcap]ditors Note: This post was first published on My Chronic Life Journey in March 2014. This is my response to the 100 Goal Challenge. I found it to be a great way to identify what is important in my life and to help me take the first steps towards a more simple, sustainable […]
[dropcap color=”orange” background=”green” style=”rounded” size=”small”]E[/dropcap]ditors Note: This post has been in our backlog for several months. We apologise for the delay in sharing this part of our journey. Last year (28 August 2014) Megan talked about taking the first steps towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life and we hope you have taken some of our ideas […]
[dropcap color=”orange” background=”green” style=”rounded” size=”small”]E[/dropcap]ditor’s Note: This post was first published on My Chronic Life Journey. As part of making life more sustainable, I will be slowly encouraging followers over at My Chronic Life Journey to join us here at LiveKen and consolidating the two sites. Happy 2015 everyone! Let me begin this post of with an […]
Happy 2015 everyone! It’s the Year of ENOUGH here at LiveKen!! Let me begin this post of with an apology for being missing in action for the past few months. For those of you who like our Facebook page you’d be aware that I’ve had to take some time off to focus on myself and trying to get […]
This year’s theme for Invisible Illness Awareness Week is “Just One”. My whole life I have suffered from invisible illnesses. From a very early age I suffered from asthma and allergies. Because I grew up with them I know how to manage them reasonably well (although I’m still identifying and learning to manage new allergies […]
Next week (8 – 14 September 2014) is Invisible Illness Awareness Week. I will share my ‘Just One‘ story with you next week. Today I’m completing the 30 Things Meme. 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know The illness I live with is: Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, plus several other conditions (asthma, […]
What’s the first step to move towards a simple, sustainable, meaningful life? Know where you are now and know where you want to be. How do you do that? By taking time out to reflect on your life and considering what is going well and what areas you’re struggling with. This allows you to actually consider whether what […]
Last week I discussed how pacing was one of the key recommendations from the International ME/CFS Primer for Clinical Practitioners. As has happened in the past I left my doctors appointment frustrated at the lack of understanding that medical practitioners here in Australia have about ME/CFS and treatment techniques. When I brought up the topic of […]
Everyone talks about doing more of this and less of that and while we mean what we say when we talk about these ideas they turn more into ‘if I could I would’ than actual plans to move towards achieving these goals. The key in moving these ideas and plans forward is to identify what […]
As many of you would be aware, I’ve been struggling a lot lately. Between the process of coming of the Lyrica and an increase in social activities I’ve really overdone it the last few weeks. My doctor is starting to reach the end of his ideas for what we could try to help me manage my […]
If you’ve been following us over the last few weeks you’d know that we are working towards a simple, sustainable and meaningful life and we are wanting to share this journey with you. About a month ago Janelle and I shared with you where we both came from and what our previous experiences had been, but where […]
Thank you all! I wanted to take the time today to say thank you to all of you; those of you who have been following from the start and those of you who have just started following me here. This blog started as a place for me to share my progress with my illness (at […]
Last week Megan spoke to you all about our goals, both within the business and personally. This week we thought we would take some time to share with you what we hope you achieve with us. Start Thinking I know it seems too obvious, but that is all we would like you to start doing. […]
Last week, while making the most delicious Lentil Burgers I’ve ever tried, my stick -mixer-thingy-ma-bob died (sorry struggling with words today 🙂 ). We need a new tool in the kitchen to help me cook. Because we wanted to make another batch of the burgers, and I use my sticky thing every day to make […]
Over the last few weeks Janelle and I have been having a think about what we’d really like to achieve in the next 12 months and how that can fit in with things here at LiveKen. As a result we’ve set ourselves and LiveKen targets for 2014/15. LiveKen Targets for 2014/15 (as a business) We […]
Over the last week or so I’ve been really struggling with the brain fog and fatigue. My doctor and I are trialing an increase in my Lyrica doses and so far I’ve seen little to no improvement in the pain levels (the reason for the Lyrica) and a massive increase in the brain fog/fatigue department. […]
As Megan said last week everyone’s journey through life is different and people travel through stages of their lives at different times and ages. This week I’m going to share with you some of my journey so far and what I’m hopeful for in the future. By both of us sharing our stories and journeys […]
Throughout the last 15 months I have learnt a lot about myself and about the world around me. I’ve found a lot to be grateful for. Thanks to my chronic illnesses my life slowed down incredibly quickly at that point and this has given me the time to discover more about me and the simple, […]
Everyone’s journey in life is different. Over the next few weeks my friend Janelle and I are going to begin sharing our own journeys towards simple, sustainable and meaningful lives. We both have different backgrounds and very different journeys, mine includes chronic illness and her journey doesn’t. We hope that by sharing our stories we’ll […]
Once again I have fallen behind on my schedule for posting here. As my health has improved (ever so slightly) I’m again trying to find balance between actually doing things physically and mentally, and resting. Over the last few weeks I have had quite a lot of very busy days (for me at least) mixed […]
[dropcap color=”orange” background=”green” size=”small]E[/dropcap]ditor’s Note: Just a small note that for the rest of July at least posts here will be a bit sporadic as I overcome some health issues and obtain a better balance in life. I will be aiming to do at least one post a week. In the mean time, here’s another guest […]
At the beginning of the year I shared with you my aspirations for 2014 to define the best me (my equivalent to a New Years Resolution). As we’ve reached (or actually crossed) the half way point for the year I thought I’d take a moment to share with you my progress with these aspirations. Although […]
On and off throughout my life I’ve played around with different ways of monitoring and managing my financial situation (i.e. having a budget). For most (if not all of my adult life) that situation has not just included me, but my husband as well. This complicates things in some ways because we come from very […]
Everyone wants to be happy and enjoy the life they’re living but so many of us are spending most of our time doing tasks and activities we don’t want to do. We’re unhappy with how our life is going and often complain about not being where we thought we would be. Within my group of […]
As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m currently in the process of decluttering and simplifying my life. I’ve come to realise that a big part of this is getting things organised, finding a home for every item so that it can be put away easily every time, and making sure things are close to […]
[dropcap color=”orange” background=”green” style=”rounded” size=”small]E[/dropcap]ditor’s Note: This is a guest post from Toni Dawn, a writer, blogger, and former personal trainer from Bristol, Tennessee… She has kindly offered to do regular guest posts on living a healthy lifestyle with a Chronic Illness. Today she’s talking about diet. For more from Toni, head over to her blog at […]
Pushing to the limits, constantly in motion, always thinking of the next task… That was what my life was like before chronic illness. Now I need to simplify! Chronic illness has set extreme limitations for me, as I’m sure it does for many of you out there, and I’ve found that these limitations have led […]
LiveKen has arisen from a desire to help others live their lives in a sustainable and fulfilling way. We have experience in community engagement for sustainability and have personal experiences living with chronic illness. Planned Products/Services The products/services currently in concept form, or being developed, are: [checklist style=”green”] a series of community workshops on living […]
Since my birthday the other week, I’ve felt like I’ve gone from moving two steps forward to taking a giant leap backwards. I know that progress is meant to be two steps forward, one step back but I feel that this has been more than one step back! I feel like in terms of activity […]
Here at LiveKen our purpose in life is to help others live more sustainable and fulfilling lives. As we said in the previous post we believe that if we all work together we can create a world where people respect their bodies, each other and the environment they live in. To do that we have some clear […]
During the process of fundraising for the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang picture book I was introduced to many exciting and wonderful people. One of these people was Elizabeth Christy from The Potomac Falls Mama and Parents with Pain. Elizabeth is an amazing woman doing many wonderful things for her local and the global […]
Since completing my list of 100 Life Goals and identifying my driving emotions I have begun working on some exciting new projects which will help me live a life in line with my beliefs, values and passions. I believe it is possible for us to live in a world where people respect their own bodies, […]
Welcome everyone to LiveKen’s brand new blog. This blog is the first step in the creation of a business that will work with you as a clients to create and find the knowledge and tools necessary to live sustainable and fulfilling lives, even with a chronic illness. My name’s Megan and I’m the creative mind […]
Tomorrow is my birthday! The celebrations, though, started today and will continue until at least next Wednesday (a whole week of celebrations). E is away at the moment and won’t be back until next Wednesday so I’ll be celebrating with him when he gets back. Today I had afternoon tea with his parents and Amma […]
As discussed in last week’s post about Finding Your Passion, the first steps are to undertake the 100 Goal Challenge and use your answers to identify your Driving Emotions. I shared my Driving Emotions and their definitions in the previous post and as requested I’m sharing my list of 100 Goals with you today. I […]
I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome… What do the doctors really think? I’ve struggled to find doctors that take my illness seriously. My GP is great, but definitely pushes the exercise a bit to hard for me (his background is in exercise physiology or something like that) but thankfully my exercise physiologists hold me back and […]
As you’ve probably noticed I’ve been a bit sporadic with my posting lately. I’m going to try and rectify that and aim for 2 posts a week, on a Tuesday and a Thursday. Today I want to expand on one of my Top 5 things I’ve learnt in a year of Chronic Illness, having something you’re […]
I have so many posts I need to write and share with you over the next few weeks including book reviews, guidance for setting and achieving goals with a chronic illness, and requests for help and feedback on a couple of big projects I’m working on. I look forward to sharing all of these with […]
The last few weeks have been pretty busy and rather stressful. As a result I haven’t had the time or energy to focus on my blog and other endeavours that I would have liked to have been doing. Today I want to talk about Making an Impact. I have so many things I’d like to […]
A few weeks ago I was contacted by the Manchester Debt Advisory Service asking for help in reaching out to you for stories for a new campaign they are launching. I’m going to share their request today but would like to make it clear that I’m not associated with them in any way, I’m just sharing them […]
Today is International ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. As mentioned in Friday’s This is M.E. post, today I’m joining in with Sally’s #May12BlogBomb by sharing a letter to my illness. I have decided to include the Pelvic Congestion Syndrome in today’s post as I don’t believe it has an awareness day of it’s own and it is part […]
This blog chain (This is M.E.) was set up by Louise from Get Up and Go Guru. Check out her original post here. This Is M.E Most of you (my friends and family) know that I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). It is also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E) and Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFIDS). This illness doesn’t […]
Loving Kindness May I/you/we… Over the weekend I read Toni Bernhard’s book How to be Sick. This is a wonderful book for those suffering from chronic illness or caring for someone with a chronic illnesses because it provides a set of easy to implement practices and techniques for dealing with the mental suffering that accompanies these […]
Life with a chronic illness is extremely difficult physically, mentally and emotionally (spiritually). One of the biggest issues I’ve found that can fall under all three of these categories is determining which activities to undertake and which to avoid. In other words, determining what’s worth it! What activities are worth causing an increase in symptoms? […]
Thanks to some bad weather here, I’ve had more time to read the last few days than I usually do. I’ve now finished reading Dr Rosamund Vallings book, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome M.E.: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Management. In the forward of this book, Professor Warren P. Tate describes it as “… a comprehensive yet accessible treatise on […]
How do I maintain mental functioning when I have a chronic illness? If you read my posts last week you’d know that lately I’ve been getting back into reading after almost a year of not being able to physically read a book. I’m reading both fiction and non-fiction and at the moment the main focus […]
Today’s Physical Friday post is going to be different to what I’ve done so far. I’ve just finished reading The Complete Fibromyalgia Health, Diet Guide & Cookbook by Dr Louise McCrindle and Dr Alison Bested so I thought I’d provide a review for those of you who might be interested in this book. The Complete Fibromyalgia […]
If you are a regular reader you’d be aware that at the beginning of this year I started a Gratitude Jar. To recap, the purpose of this jar is to remind me at the end of the year of all the little things I’ve achieved or been grateful for during the year. Each night I’m […]
I’ve gotten back into reading and I’m enjoying it! I hope everyone has enjoyed their Easter long weekend and that those of you who are having an extra long weekend in Australia continue to enjoy it! I know that I am enjoying having E home to keep me company for the week. On top of family […]
It’s Good Friday today. The start of the Easter long weekend. Here in Australia, many people are taking an extra EXTRA long weekend because ANZAC day is the following Friday so by taking 3 days off work you can have a 10 day weekend. So if you’re doing this and having an extra long break, enjoy […]
I never really felt I was any good at drawing, maybe because I have a slight perfectionist streak which made me throw away anything that didn’t exactly resemble what I was picturing in my head. Since early high school (when I got to select my own classes and dropped Art) I hadn’t really done much […]
As promised last week, today I’m going to share with you some of the behind the scenes data from the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang Kickstarter campaign. By sharing this information I’m hoping to help others who may be interested in running their own campaign and to thank those who had a big impact […]
For the past month, on top of working on the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang Kickstarter campaign, I’ve been working with an Exercise Physiologist. The goal of working with the exercise physiologist is to work out what exercise program I can maintain that will over time improve my physical health. There are 3 key […]
Father Eddie Tatro, from Bishop Eddie Tatro’s Study, has been a wonderful friend and fellow blogger. He has been reading all the true stories I have shared through the Life with Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang series and has offered to share his story as the first male story in the series. Below is Eddie’s […]
We made it! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang Kickstarter Campaign, either through donations or through spreading the word and sharing the project with everyone they know. Because of all of you we have successfully raised the $7,500 we need to publish and distribute the […]
Hi everyone, It’s been a busy week! Today is the last day of the Foggy Frog Kickstarter Campaign. We’re now 76% funded and have less than 8 hours until the campaign ends! I’m feeling very humbled and grateful that I have such an amazing group of family, friends and followers who have recognised the importance […]
Yesterday we announced in our update on the Foggy Frog Kickstarter campaign that an anonymous backer has offered to match all pledges to the campaign up to $1,500 in the next 49 hours (was 72 hours yesterday). This is great as it means that if you pledge today (or increase the amount you’ve already pledged) […]
As I’m sure by now all of you are aware, we have been running a Kickstarter campaign this month to raise the funds necessary to print the first run of the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang picture book. We now have just over 4 days left to raise the $3,219 we still need to […]
Sorry I’ve been offline for the last week. I’m currently struggling with energy, pain and tummy issues so have had to take a break from everything else to try and recover. Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang Update I’d like to start this post off by thanking everyone who has already pledged their support for […]
Wow, just over a week and we’re a 3rd of the way to our goal for the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang Campaign! Thanks to the 51 people who have already backed the campaign, we have made it past the 30% mark that most experts say is the point at which you’re 90% likely […]
So… it’s Friday morning here, and the Kickstarter campaign for Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang is now in it’s 6th day and 25% funded. If you haven’t checked it out already, please head over and watch the video to understand what we are trying to achieve. This week has been the busiest week I’ve had […]
I know a few of my readers knit and crotchet… you may be interested in this request, Knitters wanted! 🙂 The Penguin Foundation has a global callout for knitters to make pullovers for penguins in rehab. Penguins caught in oil spills need the little jumpers to keep warm and to stop them from trying to […]
During this busy month, I am focusing on finding whatever time I can for myself. That means through the rush of running the Foggy Frog Kickstarter campaign, celebrating multiple birthdays in the family, attending multiple specialists appointments and hopefully attempting a very part time return to work, I’m also trying to find time to take […]
Trisha from Notes from the Fog has been a strong supporter of the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang Campaign from the beginning. Throughout the campaign she will be sharing her own Foggy Frog stories on her site, but today she is sharing her story here for us. Trisha’s Story After the birth of my youngest […]
Please check out my update on the Foggy Frog Kickstarter page. I have provided photos from yesterday’s launch… Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for the launch of Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang here on Kickstarter. Please check out the project and donate. Even if it’s just $1… that’s enough to say, […]
As we move into this Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang picture book I want to take a look at our social media habits. Both in my online communities and my home life the issue of safety and privacy in sharing information online has been discussed over the […]
In just under 5 hours the Foggy Frog Kickstarter campaign launch will start. It would be great to get as much support as possible in the first few hours of the campaign to encourage others to donate as well. Please join us on the Facebook page or Twitter (#FoggyFrog) to gain access to the campaign […]
Pacing… It’s the main thing that I need to be able to do properly to have a reasonable lifestyle with these illnesses. Its also the main thing I still haven’t quite got right… I think I’ve told you before that my doctor has asked me to increase my exercise at 10% each week (Graduated Exercise […]
Hi friends and family (and other readers). Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted, I’ve been rather unwell over the last week. My body finally seems to be as happy as it seems to be with me again lately (no upset tummy anymore)… On the weekend two of our friends got married and although […]
Everyone suffering from a chronic illness would have had someone say to them “if you get enough sleep, you’ll feel better” and I’m sure most of us have also had that unrelenting feeling of not being able to sleep even though you need to. Today I want to talk about one of the things I […]
Today is a really busy day, so was yesterday, so I’m going to keep this short today (I’ve already done a post this morning letting you know about our Foggy Frog Thunderclap). Today’s post is a follow up from last week’s meditation post . Yesterday I had the second meditation class. The key thing I […]
There’s only 11 days until we launch our Kickstarter campaign to fund the publishing and distribution of the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang picture book. Help us start our campaign with a bang by participating in our Thunderclap to spread the word that we want to be heard and no longer want to be […]
Thank you to everyone who commented on my post Being Mentally Strong with Chronic Illness. From your comments I have managed to create a list of tips from the chronically ill for mental strength. Here are our 11 Top Tips for Mental Strength: Focus on the positives in any situation. Listen to your body. Handle […]
Happy Valentines Day! E and I don’t really celebrate Valentines day, but I thought it would be a great opportunity to thank all of you for you love and support as we move towards the launch of the Foggy Frog Campaign. I feel so lucky to have been able to connect with all of you. […]
Download your free E-book (A Selection of True Awakening Experiences) is now available on Barbara’s blog. Being part of making this Ebook was a wonderful experience. The Magnificent bloggers who created this Free E-Book are… 1st Barbara – https://memymagnificentself.wordpress.com 2nd Paddy – http://paddypicasso.wordpress.com 3rd Emanuel- http://emantable.com/musings-of-a-table/ 6th Julianne – http://juliannevictoria.com 7th Sarah – http://theskycladwriter.wordpress.com 8th Shree […]
I started a 5 week meditation course last night, it involves one hour, one night a week spent in a group practicing meditation. The course is for beginners (I was the only one there who had practiced at all before starting) so I’m hoping to learn some useful tips to help my meditation practice at […]
You may have noticed the last few weeks I’ve been hinting at the fact the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang campaign was going to be getting busier in March. That’s because we’re taking the next step and officially launching with a crowdfunding campaign through Kickstarter. We’re doing this because I’ve realised that I do […]
This weekend I took another break from technology and spent my time relaxing with E at the beach. It reinforced for me the need to get away regularly and not think about the projects, problems and other things you have going on in life. By taking a break I was able to refocus on […]
On Thursday this week, I was published on the Australian Pain Society’s blog. The Australian Pain Society is a multidisciplinary body aiming to relieve pain and related suffering through leadership in clinical practice, education, research and public advocacy. This is a new blog they have just set up so head over and check them out, […]
I am extremely grateful for all the awards I have been nominated for in my first few months of blogging. Over January I’ve been focused on writing my regular posts and I haven’t had time to sit down relax and respond to those of you who have nominated me for awards. Today I’m going […]
I know it’s meant to be Physical Friday but I just wanted to celebrate reaching 100 posts written or recorded by me! I really didn’t know what to expect when I began blogging but I am happy to announce that it has helped me create a new group of friends and keep in touch […]
Jennifer from MEcuperate contacted me the other day about sharing her story with Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang. So today I’m passing over to her. Jennifer’s Story I was a very busy, very active, very social girl, burning the candle at both ends when i was visited by Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang. […]
Since crashing last April, my brain has been in a constant state of fog, ranging from still functioning but slightly confused to can’t think, can’t move, can’t do anything at all. Most the time I feel like the guy in the picture below. What does this have to do with meditation? To begin with […]
I recently received a wonderful email from Jordan over at Qatmaster which I feel encapsulates how living with an invisible illness can feel, and what a blessing the WordPress family is to have around when you’re struggling. Thank you Jordan for letting me share this here as part of the ‘Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang’ […]
Let’s talk about Limits! It’s February already and this means a change in focus words. January was focused on Reflection. During the month I looked back over my life and I looked at what I had been able to do since becoming ill almost a year ago now! This month the focus word is Limitation. This […]
Check out Jenn’s prelaunch video for our Kickstarter campaign.
Yesterday I announced the winner of the Facebook Giveaway. Congratulations Brittani, I’ll be posting it out to you soon! There are more wheatbags available at the Foggy Frog Etsy Store. There are also gift cards available right now. More items will be coming soon. Click on each image to be taken to that item.
A while ago I got an email from Claire at Living Being Doing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, she asked me the following question: I’m investigating ways that people manage their fatigue, both as a record (for doctors/insurance, to measure efficacy of new treatments) and management – to make sure you don’t do too much on […]
Today I want to talk to you about passions and dreams. No matter where you are in life you will always have at least one passion and one dream. These may change as your life does but they are always there. My whole life I have been passionate about the environment and about caring for […]
The image above is one of the early sketches of Foggy Frog that I have made for the “Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang” campaign. This is a project created by the Spoonie Community (those of us suffering from invisible illnesses) for the Community. We aim to provide information and support; encouraging those outside our […]
The other day I reblogged a post entitled “Are you mentally strong?“. This post had a list from Forbes that outlined 18 things mentally strong people do. The list focuses on mental strength for professional people. At the suggestion of Susan from Owls and Orchids, I’m writing this post to ask for your input in […]
Upcycling is a good term to use to describe what I’m creating for my new Etsy shop “Foggy Frog Creations“. I try to do this with most things before considering recycling or throwing away.
Today has felt like a very long day, and I don’t feel like I’ve achieved what I set out to do. I’m currently starting to crash so this will be a very short post… This is a video I just recorded to give you a quick look into my daily activities and the impact they […]
An interesting post about how to be mentally strong.
A wonderful, inspirational poem that demonstrates what we go through.
So, I’m doing my first give away. To go into the draw to win this beautiful handmade wheat bag, perfect for heating or cooling any painful spots you may have, all you have to do is LIKE my Facebook page, SHARE and COMMENT on the giveaway status on the page. That’s it! A randomly drawn […]
Towards the end of last year I was sent a link to an idea to help reflect on the positives of daily life over a whole year. This idea was the gratitude jar. The idea of the gratitude jar is that you end each day writing down something you are grateful for and adding it […]
So, as you would be aware I’ve been very busy in the last 20 days completing several sewing projects and starting on a few bigger projects. I completed my patchwork quilt and made a matching meditation cushion: I’ve also started dropping hints of my really big project for this year, my campaign for raising awareness […]
I’m posting this a bit late, but it is in response to yesterday’s Daily Post’s Zero to Hero task and Daily Prompt: Do you have a reputation? What is it, and where did it come from? Is it accurate? What do you think about it? I have always had a reputation of being a bright and […]
Last week I shared a video of my daily yoga practice to show what exercise I do to reduce my pain levels. Today I want to share the other part of my daily routine, the “real exercise” as my GP likes to call it. To maintain muscle condition, or at least reduce the levels of […]
Accepting my illness early, even before I was formally diagnoses (which only happened this week) was definitely beneficial to me by allowing me to focus on the positives rather than dwelling on the negatives. Thanks to accepting this as part of my lifeiI have been primarily focused on what I can do without increasingly symptoms. […]
Although we forget these things as we get older, they are important for living a happy life. Please don’t forget!
I’m participating in a challenge this month organised by Barbara from Me, My Magnificent Self. The participants in this challenge are sharing their awakening experiences. At the end of the challenge Barbara will be producing an E-book containing all of the stories. This will be available on all participating blogs. So today I’m sharing my […]
After over 7 years of hand sewing squares together and giving up on the project, I finally finished my first ever patchwork quilt yesterday using the sewing machine. The backing material and padding inside of it both come from the suitcase of second hand material I got for Christmas. It feels like such an amazing […]
Celeste has implemented a new resource for reviews on Fibromyalgia treatments. Please contribute if you’d like to.
Always remember that something small for you, like sharing a smile, may mean the world to someone else. Never take anything for granted.
Ever since I was little I loved to read. On a weekend we would visit the library and come back with a bag full of books. Usually by the end of the first day I had read most, if not all, of them! I definitely have some obsesive compulsive behaviours when it comes to reading […]
I’ve update my About Me page and made it the front page of my blog and my tag line. I’ve also updated the theme for my blog. In the next few weeks I’ll be adding a few new pages where I will be asking you for feedback on the support groups and websites that […]
Foggy Frog could be this character for everyone who wants him soon… Keep following my blog for details 🙂
An important life lesson… Keep things in balance 🙂
If you follow me on Facebook or twitter you’d already know that apron that I gave you sneak peaks of late last year… It’s finished! And it’s been used! E and I made a wonderful orange and almond/hazelnut (didn’t have enough almonds) cake. This felt great, it was the first time I’ve managed to bake (with […]
Today I made the leap and purchased my own domain. You can now find me at mychroniclifejourney.com You can still access the site from mychroniclifejourney.wordpress.com but now I feel like I have more of an identity. Don’t forget you can also follow me at: facebook.com/ChronicMeg and twitter.com/ChronicMeg
Day 6 of the Daily Post Zero to Hero Tasks was to try a new element. Today I’m trying out making my own video and posting on youtube to share with you here. Both making my own video and using youtube are new to me, so let’s see how we go. 🙂 This Physical Friday […]
This post is written in response to day 3 of the Daily Post Zero to Hero tasks. I’ve seen this image going around Facebook a lot lately and it has got me thinking. Since my crash in April last year, I have become aware of this large community that I didn’t even know existed before. […]
The following letter was written in response to seeing this video from SoulPancake on Facebook: Dear Megan, I know right now we are going through an extremely difficult time and at times things can get a little overwhelming. Just remember that no matter what happens I am always here for you. We’ve made a […]
Seeing as I’m still relatively new to blogging I thought I’d follow along with the daily post’s Zero to Hero prompts. I’m a little behind but the first prompt was to write a post introducing yourself and your blog. Obviously I had already done this when I first began blogging but I thought this might […]
email I really need some help and advice! Please read this and let me know if you can help either in the comments or by email. As some of you may know, when I first left work completely in May last year I put in a claim for income protection under my work places insurance […]
Another year over and a new one begun Farewell to a year of good times and bad A year that had started with opportunities and fun Suddenly removed when health crashed right down High pain began and the fog rushes in But positive things can still be seen A chance to rethink To redefine life […]
Here it is, my first ‘Ask Megan’ post. I have to admit that the question I’m answering didn’t come through the Say Hello page, but from a real life friend. We were talking about everything I’d been through since becoming ill and like everyone else she kept getting lost about who is doing what in […]
Last year I set up an experiment to manage my pacing through the use of defined boundaries instead of a set routine that I tried to stick to every day. So… how has this experiment gone so far? I’d have to say I have a way to go still in defining my limits, if it’s […]
A great list of life wisdom that we can all learn from!
I have been nominated for three more awards. Jenn from My Fibrotastic Life has nominated me for the Lighthouse Award, Amanda from My Crazy Migraine Life has nominated me for the Liebster Award, and Julia from Julie’s Spoonful of Sugar has nominated me for the WordPress Family Award. Please head over to each of their […]
“You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.”– Jerry Gillies Happy New Year everyone! As I mentioned before the new year, 2014 is going to be the year of find me. I knew what areas I wanted to […]
Some great suggestions here for balancing your body and mind, and have a happy 2014.
Good advice 🙂
Barbara, over at Me, My Magnificent Self is setting up a January challenge to write an E-book with 31 stories about real people’s Awakenings and how they’re moving forward. I’ve signed up to add my story but we still need a few other people to join to get the 31 stories. Head over and see […]
I hope everyone enjoys the holiday season. Here is a Haibun I’ve written for Paint the World with Words poetic form of the week. It focusses on Christmas Eve dinner with E’s family… The Red Dress Last year bouncing, spinning, dancing, singing. This year smiling, resting, sitting, listening. Last year body limber, jumping. This year […]
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”– Carl Jung As I mentioned in my previous post on Aspriations for 2014. The new year is going to be all about defining the best ME. To do this I will be focussing in […]
This is a beautiful interpretation of a beautiful bible verse!
Check out Claire’s post on how to invite a spoonie over for dinner. I’ve definitely appreciated when my friends and family have recognised my limitations but not made a huge fuss about them. Ensuring there’s something that can be eaten and somewhere to lie down are probably my 2 biggest requirements that I often feel […]
“You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.”– Jerry Gillies As I mentioned in my previous post on Aspriations for 2014. The new year is going to be all about defining the best ME. To do this I will […]
“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”– Henry David Thoreau As I mentioned in my previous post on Aspriations for 2014. The new year is going to be all about defining the best ME. To do this I will be focussing in on 3 core topics for the year and aiming […]
The following nonet has been written as part of Paint the World with Word’s “Be Inspired Challenge” Defining the best ME In the new year I will discover with An open heart and open mind The best ME I can become Aware of my needs Physical, Mental And Spiritual Connecting Mind and Body (c) Megan […]
I’ve already discussed the general benefits of getting away when you have chronic illness. Today I want to focus in on one key factor I believe was beneficial to me; reducing my reliance on technology. In today’s environment there is technology everywhere. This technology can be a good thing as it allows us to connect […]
“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”– Aldous Huxley At this time of year, people are starting to set resolutions and goals for the new year. Given that my health seems to be so variable and I have no idea what I’m going […]
Have you ever noticed how many different shades of blue there are and how abundant the colour is in our lives? I recently got introduced to the Conscious Day App by my MIL. This is an app that helps you to develop your mindfulness by providing daily challenges. One of the first challenges I participate […]
So last Wednesday I had 2 doctors appointments in the one day. One of them was with my normal GP and the other was with the GP assigned by the insurance company to assess my claim for income protection insurance. In preparing for the income protection insurance doctor I came to realise that my list […]
Thank you so much to Paint the World with Words for nominating me for “The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award”. The rules for this award are very simple: Provide a link to and thank the blogger who nominated you for this award. Answer ten questions. Nominate 10-12 blogs that you find a joy to […]
A few weeks ago I was contacted by Julie from Counting My Spoons asking if I’d be happy to be interviewed for her regular column Fibro Warrior Wednesday. The resulting interview was published on Wednesday. Head over to Julie’s site to take a look: Counting My Spoons: Fibro Warrior Wednesday – Chronic Meg. While you’re there, […]
This Japanese Tanka poem has been written in response to Paint the World with Words “Be Inspired Writing Challenge“. And so it begins Rising above pain and fog Planning and scheming Aspirations, hopes and dreams Blooming in the year ahead (c) Megan S, December 2013 I am currently planning out my blog ideas for the […]
Last weekend I had a wonderful time away with my mum and my sister, T. We visited my Aunty and Uncle at their home on Dangar Island. This visit got me thinking a lot about the way our environment impacts our health. Before starting this blog, E and I went on a holiday to Port […]
Thanks to both Katarina from Painfully Aware, Shaun from prayingforoneday, and In Loving Memory Of Jody Ann Bales for nominating me for The Versatile Blogger Award, In Loving Memory Of Jody Ann Bales also nominated me for The Imagine Award and Michelle from Fibro… Dealing and coping through laughter and tears for nominating me from another Dragon’s Loyalty Award. […]
This is a lot to consider when you are already dealing with being unwell but it is definitely worth while. I keep an energy expenditure diary which records what level of activity I’m doing every half hour and I record my pain levels, nausea levels, fatigue levels and other symptoms three times a day at […]
Related articles Invasion of the Jellyfish (janelpratt.wordpress.com) Getting to Dangar (janelpratt.wordpress.com)
This is an unedited prose that was written the day after the MUSE concert E and I went to last week. I thought I’d share what I night out can cost me even after careful resting and planning beforehand. I wrote this as it came to me during the day. Buzzing sensations everywhere as the […]
As promised when telling you about my Environmentally Friendly Wedding, here is the text from my reading. I absolutely love this story! It’s a very long story though so I chose select verses from it for our wedding… I couldn’t cut out much of it though as I thought it described me and E so well. […]
So recently I’ve been having some very vivid, emotional but somehow all muddled up dreams. Most of my dreams have included a mixture of people I know now, people I knew in the past and people I don’t know at all. They don’t necessarily include events I’ve actually experienced but the feelings and emotions I’m […]
I recently realised I’ve focussed a lot on the ME/CFS and Chronic Pain aspects of my illness and have been completely ignoring the one diagnosis that most of you probably haven’t even heard of; Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (PCS). So I thought I should do a post on what PCS actually is and how it affects […]
The following Limerick was inspired by Paint the World with Words Poetic Form of the Week ‘Be Inspired Challenge’… There lives a strange frog, Who can blow up a fog, Causing heaviness and confusion. And when he arrives, He will change all your lives, And you’ll struggle to find a solution! You can try exercising, […]
I had a big afternoon yesterday! I drove myself to my acupuncture appointment! My mum came with me and drove me home, but I made it there by myself 😀 This is a big deal because, as you know, I haven’t really been doing much driving the last 6 months. Why did I feel comfortable […]
Such a beautiful video about gratitude!
Wow, It seems that whenever I think I’ve got on top of my award nominations, more appear! Given my limited energy I’m going to try and combine these into one post, so I apologise for the length of this post (it’s taken me a few days to write!)… I’d like to thank Julie from Counting […]
Christmas Time is Near!” From Christmas Where the Gum Trees Grow, An Australian Christmas Carol Christmas is usually a time of excitement for me. By now I’ve usually set up our Christmas tree and sorted out what I want to get everyone for Christmas (even if I haven’t bought them all), and I’m usually looking forward […]
I’m still struggling to come to terms with the best way to describe the Fog to other people. To me the Fog has two distinct parts: The Physical Fog, which causes the heaviness in my limbs and the weird spinning sinking sensations I sometimes experience, and The Mental Fog (or Brain Fog), which causes the confusion, inability […]
Great imagery of the course we should all be taking… Making our own happiness and choosing our own paths without relying on other things and people.
I can’t believe it’s been a month already since I started this blog! So much as happened in the past month and I’m so glad I got to participate in NaBloPoMo as I way of kick starting my blog. I have already made some great friends and begun many new creative adventures as a result of […]
I’ve been nominated for yet another 2 awards! Thank you so very much to Celeste over at the wonderful Baking, Butter, & Happiness for nominating me for another Dragon’s Loyalty Award AND another Blog of the Year Award! As I wrote previously, Celeste and I have a lot in common and she has a wonderful […]
An exercise haiku Excruciating… Walking, Downward Facing Dog Savasana… Relax! At every doctors appointment I go to they consistently ask “what exercise have you done/are you doing?” My usual answer is that I’m trying to do as much yoga and walking as I can but that doesn’t mean I’m doing something every day. In fact, […]
Foggy Frog is here Heaviness and confusion Moving through the fog Slowly awaken Feel Gnawing Gnats all over Whole body aching Body on fire Burning Bats surrounding me Pain radiating Knives in chest and hips Pain is excruciating Stabbing Spiders here Needle Nematodes* Numbness with pins and needles Sleepy limbs attacked *Needle Nematodes evolved into […]
Definitely good advice for doctors! Just need to get the message out there.
As mentioned in my previous post, There are Dragon’s Everywhere, 3 of my fellow bloggers had nominated me for awards in the past few days. In that post I wrote about the two Dragon’s Loyalty Awards I had been nominated for, in this post I want to thank Jenn from My Fibrotastic Life for nominating […]
Wow, I’ve been away (posting already written posts, or picture posts) for a few days and in that time I’ve been nominated for awards by 3 other bloggers! To help me get through accepting them today I’m going to cheat a bit and combine two of them in this post. I would really like to […]
I promised a few of you a post about planning my wedding, so here it is. Please note that this post is very photo heavy. After E proposed I had 18 months to plan our wedding. We had a few key criteria that were very important to us: The wedding had to have as little […]
All photos above (c) E.S., 2013
I’ve reached 200 likes and over 60 followers. Thank you for everyone who’s helped me get here in less than 1 month!
I’ve had very little sleep thanks to hot/cold spells and occasional pain through the night and I’ve got a very busy day today, so it’s only a short post this morning… As promised here is the recipe for my very simple and delicious Banana Pancakes. I’m sorry I can’t remember where I found this recipe […]
My MIL came around today to drop off some material, and the loom and yarn to make hats for charity. She also brought around lunch. So while there was a gap in the clouds and the sun was out we packed up my picnic basket and had lunch in a local park. It was a […]
Before I even fell ill early this year I knew there was something wrong with me. My whole life I have suffered from asthma and eczema, and whenever I fell sick it went to my chest and lasted longer than it should. I’ve often been told that even as a young child I had massive […]
I haven’t actually read as many of these as I’d have liked to but I’ll be keeping my eyes out for them second hand.
OK, I said I was going to be out today but I was too excited about letting you know about the new award I’ve received and I’ve got a little energy right now so here it is… Yesterday the lovely Jenn from My Fibrotastic Life nominated me for the Inner Peace Award. Thank you Jenn! This […]
I had a wonderful evening yesterday celebrating our anniversary with E, but it’s left me completely out of it today so I’m going to take today to just rest and relax. The cleaners are coming this afternoon so at least something will get done today 🙂 Please come back tomorrow for more exciting posts.
This is a great post about how we can try to be sustainable in whatever way we can.
I married my best friend! E has been with me through the highs and lows of the last 10 and a half years. I am so grateful for having him with me as support through completing my degree and joining the workforce and for being my rock now as I go through the process of […]
An interesting article on chronic pain.
So I’ve introduced you to Foggy Frog and his Pain Gang, but I still need to introduce you to who’s on my side of this fight. This is not a post about all the people who are helping me out and supporting me through this process. Although you guys know who you are and you […]
I’ve (semi)completed another sewing project. I always find the eye masks you can get at the shops uncomfortable so I thought I’d try make my own… The top material is the same as my neck pillow and the backing is cut from an old child’s fleece jumper. I was planning to add Velcro to the […]
I’ve found since being ill I don’t get to see my friends as much as I like. And I’ve begun to realise if I don’t start taking a more proactive approach I’m going to lose touch with people that are important to me. Over the past 7 months I’ve had to decline multiple invitations to […]
Resting… What is it really? To some people resting may be watching TV, or listening to music, or reading a book. But these activities still use energy, mental energy just not physical energy. For someone with chronic fatigue and pain this is still too much energy expenditure. To aid recovery we need complete rest. This […]
A few great points here! I especially agree with separating your organic waste. Here in my home state in Australia, ALL food waste can now go into the green organics bin with your garden clippings. This all then goes to a local compost and mulching company to be reused.
I’m still working on The apron I’ve given you sneak peaks of, but I have successfully completed one sewing project… My very own hot/cold shoulder pillow that can also be used as a travel pillow! It’s really comfy and fits my shoulders perfectly. This was my second attempt (first one was too small) but it […]
I have not driven in the last 6 months (apart from one short drive after one of the doctors recommended I try again). This is because whenever I’m in a moving vehicle (and sometimes when walking) my vision goes unfocused after less than 5 minutes and I don’t feel safe driving if that happens. But […]
Wow! I’d like to send out a big Thank You to Julie from The Nocturnal Laundress, who has nominated me for the Unique Leaves Award. Please take the time to head over to her inspirational blog to take a look. So, here are the rules for accepting this award. The “Unique Leaves Award” Rules Display […]
This is why I’m trying to keep up with an exercise regime even though it hurts to do it. I am trying to reduce it down to a level that doesn’t increase the pain too much.
Something everyone should try to focus on!
This post has been inspired by conversations with people I know and The Better Way CFS‘s post on “How CFS has Changed Me”. The conversations have been around other people expressing their concerns that my goals and expectations for the future are now unrealistic. The blog post talks about how being ill has caused a […]
Day 6 of the 21 Days of Gratitude program focused on setting personal boundaries to be able to give from the deepest part of your soul. It took me a while to get my thoughts straight but it got me thinking about how well my daily schedule is working for me. Although it works well […]
Last week I spent my crafting time making cards for the wedding and 60th we had on the weekend. Obviously I couldn’t post them before the events in case the recipients were reading my blog, so here they are now… This card was made using store bought diecuts and a precut card. I used double […]
This is how I feel 80% of the time at the moment!
This is exactly how I feel about my situation. I have a choice it.in how I deal with my pain and fatigue, even though I don’t have a choice about having it. I make the choice to be positive and grateful and to choose to manage my pain and fatigue in a healthy wway I […]
So this past weekend I had 2 major events in a row… We had a friends wedding on Saturday and my father-in-law’s 60th on Sunday. To enjoy both events and not increase my symptoms I had to carefully manage how I engaged with these events and the days surrounding them. I have to say I […]
I found the following letter on the FMS Community site. It explains a lot of what I’m going through and how those of you who aren’t ill can help. It’s been written for Fibromyalgia but works well for other chronic illnesses as well. Open Letter to the Normals There are the things I would like […]
This is important for everyone to remember. Have faith that you will get where you want to be, and try not to stress too much about where you are now. If you’re living with chronic pain try to find ways to learn to listen to your body and work with the pain to get where […]
I wrote this after experiencing some weird sensations during my meditation the other day… The world is spinning. As I close my eyes I am sinking. I can feel the ground below me giving way,as my body slowly gives in to the fog and the weight. Foggy Frog and the Gnawing Gnats are having a […]
At the moment my body is out of balance. This is obvious with the continuous pain and fatigue. I am listening to my body though and trying to re balance it. I am focusing on eating fresh, wholesome food as often as possible, meditating and resting to listen closer to my body, and surrounding myself […]
The warmth and company of our two Kitty cats 🙂
And the full product to be sewn (hopefully tomorrow) … can you work out what it is?
Although the presenter seems fairly over-dramatic (like in many American documentaries – sorry American readers), I can definitely relate to the comments made in the preview for this film. I’ll be watching it when it is released online at http://www.PainMattersFilm.com after November 16.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, if I’m sticking to my limits I can only manage 6 minutes of walking (at a reasonable pace), 10 minutes of yoga (max, usually only manage 5 minutes) and I need 2.5 hours rest during the day. So what does my day look like on a typical day with […]
Good luck Dani, a difficult challenge for a good cause.
These talks are inspirational. I haven’t watched them all yet but when I’m having a bad day I want them on my blog so I can easily find them again.
Here are three techniques I use when I start to feel overwhelmed and need to refocus and clear my mind: Advanced Breathing Techniques. My psychologist has taught me 3 breathing exercises that help me to calm my mind, refocus and energise myself. This is a bit hard to explain in writing so bare with me… […]
What are you grateful for today? All Photos (c) Megan S or Doug Quine Photography, 2011 – 2013 Related articles What is my purpose in life? (mychroniclifejourney.wordpress.com) Mentors Channel and Louie Schwartzberg Announce “21 Days of Gratitude” (prweb.com)
I’m participating in the Mentor’s Channel “21 days of gratitude” meditation series. The first meditation last night focused on Finding your Purpose. Below is my reflections on the session. What is my purpose in life? Up until a few months ago I thought I knew what my purpose in life was and I thought I […]
Let me tell you about these creatures that have come to visit me. These are the ones that are causing all the problems and won’t go away. We’ll start with their leader, Foggy Frog. Foggy Frog is the one that’s always on my shoulder. He’s weighing me down and makes it feel like I’m pushing through […]
So today my husband, E, participated in a charity ride called Amy’s Ride here in South Australia with a few of our friends. He completed a 100 km course and was still able to smile at the other end (although he was pretty exhausted). I’d like to congratulate everyone who participated in the event. E […]
My world is a constant confusion. My mind is prepared to attack. The past – A persuasive illusion. Dreidel- Don McLean I have had less than 3 hours sleep, so I’m going to apologise up front if anything in this post makes less sense than usual. Thank you for your patience and understanding. 🙂 I […]
So, I woke early this morning with every part of my body aching and throbbing with pain. No matter how much I tried to get back to sleep, I couldn’t. In the end I got up and had a hot bath which soothed my muscles enough to get a little bit more sleep. I’m pretty sure […]
Bright and colourful birds of hope and healing! I’ve had a long and busy day today so this will have to do for the day. Stay tuned for more tomorrow…
So it looks like I’ve created my account just in time for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). I don’t feel up to writing 50,000 words but I do want to start trying to challenge my mind a bit more than I have the last 6 months so I will […]
For those of you who don’t know me, let me introduce myself. I’m Megan, welcome to my blog! I’m passionate about the environment and engaging the community in positive actions, as well as spending time with my family and friends. I love cooking, yoga and walking when I have the energy. I’ve recently been diagnosed […]
This is something I wrote the other day after one of my meditations Fighting Them… Her body aches. As she lies there she feels the weight of them upon her body and can feel her energy draining away. She is weak and shaky, but she knows she has to fight them. Calling upon the calming […]