Slow Down Therapy

This was printed in a newsletter I receive from The Northcoast Lupus & Fibromyalgia Support Group which meets on the north Oregon coast. I don't know the author. It was submitted by a lady named Heidi, who I suspect is the author. I read this advise regularly. It is a great reminder of how how we should lead our lives, having Fibromyalgia or not.

"Slow Down Therapy

1. Slow down; you are not responsible for doing it all yourself, right now.
2. Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each moment has richness that takes a lifetime to savor.
3. Set your own pace. When someone is pushing you, its OK to tell them they're pushing and it's not good for you.
4. Take nothing for granted; watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your neighbor mow.
5. Taste your food. It is to delight as well as to nourish.
6. Notice the sun, the moon, and the stars as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed. Watch and listen to the night sky.
7. Quit planning how you're going to use what you know, learn, or possess. Gifts just are; be grateful and their purpose will be clear.
8. When you talk with someone, don't think about what you'll say next. Thoughts will spring up naturally if you let them. If you are only thinking of your next word you will miss a blessing from that someone.
9. Create a place in your home...at your work...in your mind...in your heart...where you can go for quiet and time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn't luxury; it's a necessity; it improves us."

So...

Can you slow down?

Can you find a happy, relaxful place?

Can you go at your own pace?

Do you marvel at the simple things in life?

Do you eat well?

Can you stop and listen to the space around you?

Can you enjoy your life?

Can you accept the blessing

that are your

family, friends and acquaintances?

Can you sit quietly, relax in an recollection?

Do you get enough rest?

Information to get you thinkin' about what you do for yourself.