Wee-Bit Misanthropic

Uggh…this has got to be the most effeminate subject I have ever written on. Given the subject matter, I am thinking of changing the blog’s name to ‘Growing Ovaries’. At least I don't have to let go of perfectionism—I’m already a ‘good-enoughist’. I need to be more mindful of the ‘negative self-talk’ I give myself. More tied to the present moment too. Meditation would probably help Being ‘mindful of our common humanity’ is not a strong area for me either. Not so much humanity as people with my neurological condition. There are many in my group with the same challenges I have. All the more reason to attend the various support groups I’m in—to strengthen the bonds that are there. 0Self-kindness…uggh…I get an F. Are we done? ‘Acceptance is the heart of compassion’ writes BB. I need to be more of a friend to myself and help accept the situation for what it is. I should treat myself as I would a good friend, with warmth, understanding, and empathy. . Yuck.

Authenticity also demands that we stand for our values. This is my list of values. 1 honesty 2 loyalty 3 respect 4 responsibility 5 spirituality 6 compassion 7 hope 8 courage 9 gratitude The first four are ingrained in how I live. The last 5 are'soul's work' as BB writes. The last two especially require major work on my part.

In retrospect, this hardly seems worth posting.  It feels derivative and simplistic. Also, it goes against what Brenee Brown wrote.  The wholehearted journey is not linear and cannot be condensed into a 'how to' formula.  It can't be relegated to a sequence of 'to do list' items. Still, it takes the major 'gauzy' [her term] words in the book and puts them in some kind of order.  It was helpful [at least to me]

Hi I’m Joe.   I’m a bit misanthropic.  I prefer being by myself to the company of other people. I have a part of me which eschews connection with others.  I want to change.   Specifically, I’d like to become what Brenee Brown defines as wholehearted in her book The Gifts of Imperfection.   Her writing rings true to me. This blog will be part book report on TGoI and part diary on my journey to Wholehearted Living.   Some things you should know about me:  I don’t have a lot of time. Although I am 45-the average lifespan of people with my neurological condition is 38.  I don’t know if I have 10 years or 10 days  left but I want to end life well.  I've been in a wheelchair since my early thirties. I can’t write and can barely type. My voice intelligibility I would rate as a four  out of ten. I’m physically well cared for at home.  Other parts of my life ranked out of ten:  Body/heałth. ...