 Being
Human - Living Real... Discovering the Hero Within
By Maureen Tazzioli of Rezults MatterHaving a friend is wonderful, being a friend is truly delightful, but
what happens to the heart of a person when they feel alone?
For approximately eight years, the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
elements of my life were extremely challenging. The symptoms of a disease
known as Ulcerative Colitis tried hard to control and destroy every aspect
of my life - my relationships, my career, my role as wife and mother.
Looking into the mirror, a stranger always looked back, and I no longer knew
who I was nor what was expected of me. The societal image I struggled to
keep alive solely for the purpose of gaining acceptance from others was no
longer achievable.
Exhausted with the feelings of frustration and anger, I knew I needed to
find a way to gain back the control of my own life. So instead of waiting
for someone else to rescue me from despair, I took the initiative, found my
inner courage and strength, and began to discover the hero within. By
actively applying these five steps into my life, I was able to overcome many
challenges.
1) People Pleaser...No More! - By being a people pleaser, the
symptoms of my Ulcerative Colitis worsened. The quality of my life began
disappearing, and the fear of being rejected by others, surfaced. I no
longer reflected a strong character, but rather became an insecure,
child-like, naive thinker, who lost all belief in herself and her own
abilities. Living as a victim of circumstance seemed easier than trying to
help myself. Then, it occurred to me. If I could learn how to give myself
the same amount of time, consideration and patience that I offered to
others, how could my life improve? My curiosity led me to action.
I began to take responsibility for my own life by creating a sign that I
placed near the telephone in my house. It read, “I will take better care of
me first, so I can take better care of you later.” This sign proved to be
extremely beneficial for me. It allowed me an opportunity to better manage
my time more effectively without worrying about feeling rejected. I was
determined to take care of myself and in doing so I learned how to politely
say “no” when I needed to.
By applying this one simple step, I was able to prioritize my days so that I
could get enough sleep, prepare healthier meals, exercise more frequently,
and spend quality time with my family. My personal path to self-improvement
was underway and I was excited to see how many changes I could make on my
own.
2) STOP What You Are Doing - Just like a red traffic light
signals vehicles to stop for the sake of safety, so too did I have to stop
myself from my own negative behaviours. I had to realize that my negative,
habitual behaviours and actions were not allowing me to obtain the positive
results I hoped to achieve. So I stopped what I was doing, assessed the
damage I created, and found a better course of action to pursue. Over the
next few months, I set aside 60 minutes a day to read inspirational stories,
go for quiet walks, meditate and pray. Once I was able to take time for
myself, my next step became clear to me.
3) Evaluate and Decide - Since it would be impossible to alter
every aspect of my life all at once, I chose two areas I wanted to improve
upon right away. For example, if I was easily frustrated; I would take a
closer look as to how I was managing my stress level, and then I would
decide what I should do to improve the situation. In this particular case, I
found it appropriate for me to join a suitable fitness center so I could
exercise more frequently. Relieving my stress appropriately was important to
my over all health. Once I became satisfied with my progress, I would choose
another two areas to work on. It was during this step that I realized I
would require a lifelong commitment towards self-improvement.
Take Action - Through my years of wishing and dreaming for
things to improve, I have learned that the best intentions mean nothing if
no action is applied. Therefore, having accepted my lifelong commitment to
self-improvement, I started to attach an action plan to every area of my
life that I wanted to change. For example, when it became obvious to me that
I needed to make healthier food choices when preparing meals, I created an
action plan by reading more information about food nutrition and how to buy
healthier foods for healthier meals. Try to remember that action is a key
ingredient to one’s success.
Believe In Yourself - In order for me to make positive changes
in my life, I needed to believe in myself. I had to understand that I was
only human, and that in being human, I may require a spiritual source to
help guide me. With my heart to the heavens and my mind on self
improvements, I managed to move forward in my own life. I am now
experiencing a life full of much adventure. I have been symptom free for
close to 5 years now, and even though there is no cure for Ulcerative
Colitis, I believe that I will never again be left to feel as though I am
merely sitting on the sidelines of life.
Life for me is a gift and discovering my own hero was a blessing. If you are
like me, and you desire positive changes in your own life, try to discover
the hero within yourself. You will be amazed at what you can do.
Maureen Tazzioli, keynote speaker & common sense thinker, helps
businesses & individuals achieve positive results. Contact Maureen at:
mtazzioli@rezultsmatter.com
or visit her at
www.rezultsmatter.com |
