2024 Goal: Pay Attention to Things That Make You Say "Ouch"
And remove another pebble from that old shoe.
Happy New Year, folks! 2023 was a year, and this year is looking like another doozy.
I'm glad I caught you early before the luster of the new year wears off. You may still see positivity and potential for 2024 from the brim of your rose-colored glasses.
Did you write new goals for this year? There's always room for improvement, as my first-grade teacher, Sister Katarina Martina, used to say.
Resolutions for diets, gym memberships, and a dry January often go by the wayside after a few weeks. I don't want to keep doing the same stuff and run out of steam without anything to show for it, do you?
That's why I gave up resolutions long ago.
Instead, the new year is a logical time to reflect and assess where I'm growing or stagnating. To measure, I take a hard look at myself, as objectively as possible, like I'm my own mechanic, which I sort of am. Giving myself occasional tune-ups (Gen X and under: this is something car owners did to maintain their vehicles back in the day) and adjusting course is worth doing, no matter the date on the calendar.
What's wrong with making course corrections as soon as you notice you're off course?
Whenever I rent a car, I walk around to check for nicks and dings and kick the tires. It's a wise practice, no? Now that I'm 60, I regularly seek evidence that I'm no longer a spring chicken, but at the same time, resist taking and looking at pictures of me, fearful of what I might discover.
Is that a varicose vein? Has this mole always been there? Where did my jawline go?
Sadly, body acceptance still escapes me.
Focusing on my exterior has always been easier than looking beneath the hood. I assume everything’s ok until it makes itself known. In my case, the pain in my muscles and nerves in my neck have jarred me into action.
Over the past forty years, I've been rear-ended three separate times. After each instance, I was emotionally shaken by the violent force but recovered from the shock by the time I got home. I never felt pain at the moment, so I shrugged it off and moved on.
Eventually, the repeated assaults on my neck caught up with me. I began suffering from frequent stiff necks and a chronic ache as time wore on. As the crescendo of pain increased, I had to act.
I explored the condition with GPs and different chiropractors, but no relief. I didn't know where else to turn and gave up seeking help entirely, waiting for my body to ratchet things up—again.
Then, one day, a few months ago, I came across a chiropractor on TikTok. She seemed so cool and intelligent, and with every new video she posted, I wondered if she was the one the person who would finally help me.
Take a look at one of her current videos.
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Where was this font of knowledge located? Seattle? Chicago? It turns out her office is a seven-minute car ride away.
Dr. Veera has been the equivalent of a three-credit university course. After seeing her for the past three months, my pain has decreased, and my range of motion is nearly normal. Plus, she helped me with my elevated A1C levels and other health problems.
What a blessing she’s turned out to be!
I'm glad I found her. She convinced me my neck pain could be addressed and the underlying issue identified.
I wish everyone could find a great doctor like her. There are more like her out there waiting for you to find them.
Would you consider making this the year where you tend to your body and address your pain?
Your decaying meat bag deserves it.
What hurts or chronic condition keeps surfacing? Let that be the thing in 2024 you're going to tend to until you resolve it.
Go down the rabbit hole, read up, talk to, and see doctors, specialists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and chiropractors. Whatever your health plan and budget will allow.
Think outside the box! Keep at it until you have a solution or develop a positive coping process.
Practice being your own advocate.
Can't think of anything that hurts? Seriously? You may have become desensitized or are taking meds to mask the pain. Kicking the can down the road keeps you in reactive mode. That's not advocating!
If you really have no aches or pains, focus on where your stress lives in the body, whether it be your jaw, shoulders, hands, or hips. It's there waiting for you to acknowledge it so it doesn't have to scream louder or stop you in your tracks.
The body doesn't forget but stores each subsequent transgression. Have you read Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s book, “The Body Keeps the Score”? It’s worth your time.
Practice loving this vessel that carries you forward in this life. Every step of the way, your body has immense power over the quality of your experience.
Love it up!
The practice of noticing body pain heightens your awareness and leads you to learn more about yourself. The more you listen and respond, the better you will feel, and the better you feel, the more you can go back and say, what's next?
If you didn’t have any pain or disease in your body, what could you do next?
How does your body feel today? Let me know in the comments.
I've never referred to my body as a "decaying meat bag." Saggy and baggy, yes! Agreed it's important to take care of the one body we have - I love the expressions "Prehab before Rehab" and "Use it or Lose it." I prefer to use it!