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Sometimes a little change is all you need

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I decided to color my hair after years of allowing it to go grey. The main reason was because living with grey hair started making me feel old. I needed a pick me up moment and oddly enough coloring my hair did the job.

I’m back to being a redhead. The change very likely activated the ‘happy’ chemicals in my brain, like serotonin and dopamine, and accounts for the lift in my spirits. It’s like how a change in scenery is recommended for depressed people. My hairdo change has helped to lift my spirits. Now when I look in the mirror I feel more confident and happy.

I’m not sure if my hair will stay red forever, but right now, it’s given me a powerful push in the right direction toward feeling like the best version of myself. For now, I’m going to bask in my changed hair color and continue to find new ways to keep these feelings up even if I let my natural color grow back.

I’ve purchased a couple of boxes of hair dye to use every 4 months or so to upkeep the red color. It’s amazing how something like this can make such a difference. I wasn’t going to let multiple sclerosis define my mental well-being. At least I have some control over something myself.

I have to say I was in a better mood when I went to the store yesterday and even spent more time talking to the clerk and customers. Nothing big, but I know I was smiling more. That’s always a plus.

Don’t blame yourself for the bad days, and don’t despair when they come. Pay attention to your body’s cues, go easy on yourself, and know that, at the very least, making a small change here or there can help lift your mood for the better.

I don’t take good picture, but here you go… no makeup and all.

Change your struggles into something positive

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Multiple sclerosis just keeps happening to me and no amount of meds, sleep, CBD oil, meditation, chocolate or coffee seems to be able to stop it. I’ve even tried non-GMO, user friendly, vegan ones but no help. Don’t even get me started on using all the proven wives-tale wonders, conspiracy theory miracles and Dr. I-got-the-cure know it alls out there.

How can MS, something as simple as 2 letters, be so difficult? That’s beyond me. After all it’s just 2 letters in the alphabet. It’s not a sentence. But lately I would disagree. I’ve been put in solitary confinement, experienced sleep deprivation, dealt with torture by every ill acting nerve in my body and was even handed a restrictive diet of soft-foods-only due to a lack of muscle control. Ugh, what gives?!

That’s the crazy thing about MS. Whichever nerve it attacks is the cause of the problems for the body. If it attacks the legs… those are the ones hindered. If it attacks the eyes… yep, they have difficulties. If it attacks the bladder… troubles abound. Each person dealing with MS is different because with the trillions of nerves in the body it’s a crapshoot as to which one gets hit. Every day is a risky and unpredictable nerve venture inside the body.

True story, yesterday I wanted something cold to drink because it’s been getting hot here. I decided to make a smoothy because I had all the ingredients needed. Blending everything up makes it easier for my jaw muscles. For me, eating something as soft as a banana can actually be difficult.

I put everything in my blender to smash away, but once it made it look perfectly frapped I couldn’t twist the lid off. My hands were too weak. Weaker than my jaw was. It was so depressing that for a moment I leaned over the counter and a few tears fell. Why me? Ugh!

Then I took a deep breath, grabbed ahold of the lid and twisted for the upteenth time. Amazingly enough it came off. Thank goodness. I didn’t want a perfectly blended smoothy go bad.

I poured it into a glass, got comfortable in my chair and enjoyed a tasty drink. My jaw was really thankful everything was crushed up. It hit the spot…even with a few tears and several worn out muscles.

When I’m having a really bad day I remind myself that life is all in the choosing. Every day we are faced with decision. We may not be able to choose the struggle we are dealt, but we do get to choose how we will respond to it. BTW, tears are allowed.

In life, things happen around us and things happen to us, but how you choose to react to what’s going on is what really matters. Life is all about modifying, readjusting, and adapting in the struggle. Change your struggles into something positive. I know you can.