Get Ready for the Launch
One down, one to go!
At the time of writing this I am feeling ecstatic.
This morning, I recorded my first new and improved podcast to kick start series 2. A series that will include the shared stories of our fellow migraine warriors.
I’ve been wanting to do this for so long – I’ve been voicing “it’s coming” for at least a year!
20 of you have so far said that you’d love to meet up for an online conversation. (Face to face always welcome but I’m hoping we can get some global reach on the go here).
I’ve scheduled a trial run that me and fellow Substacker
practiced for Friday 13th December.A day and date that has become known as bad luck to the extent that we have removed the number 13 from doors on streets and in hotels (floors too). A day and number that in combination was previously celebrated. I wrote about that some more when sharing my insight on why I believe chronic illness is so prevalent in women.
It’s time to take back our power and reclaim this aspect of ourselves.
I’ve believed for some time now that the sharing of our stories will lead to the greatest change. As long term as that may be, we are here, now, doing it. Whether writing on this platform, speaking our truth in podcast or circle or in the publishing of our books.
In attendance at the Hay House Writers Workshop event last year and the year before, out of over 200 of us there were only 4 (including me) writing on the subject of chronic illness.
I want to see this figure change.
I’ve known for a long while now that I’m here to support you on the pathway to publishing.
It is also my belief that interest and demand in our stories will rise exponentially in the coming years. Not least because disability by illness is increasing. But also because so many of us are waking up to the truth that we matter, our health matters. And I guess, as such, taking matters into our own hands.
This really is The Warrior’s Path we are walking. Not just in respect of the fight, the battle, the trauma we’ve faced and experienced. But in honour of the fact that we are venturing into the unknown. Few of us have way showers, a team of physicians and all support needs met. Not to mention the understanding of close ones around us to cheerleaders us on. All elements of which we would benefit from immensely as we navigate the turbulence and treacherous climb to the top.
To me, its always felt that the ones who were supposed to be on my side and could have been giving me a helping hand are the ones who were at the top of the mountain throwing boulders as I struggled.
What few understand is that not only is this not the easiest path, it does not come with any guarantee.
The good fortune we have is not dressed up as good fortune when it arrives.
We don’t have it all figured out.
There aren’t endless buckets of cash and access to resources. In fact, of the resources we do have access to (for those of us with such privilege), many are contributing to the trauma and abuse that we face - adding flames to the fire when it is water that we need to put it out.
The only guarantee we do have is that willpower and logic alone will not take us from where we are now to where we want to go.
Until we open up to hearing about patient stories, taking a deeper interest of those in recovery (the medical field take as much interest in recovery as they do in the complexities of the disease) then I can’t see how we will ever increase patient recovery. And we will continue repeating the same story; that recovery is not possible or if it is, it is only for the chosen few.
This year I have observed as much dismissal in recovery as there is in the illness itself. Over the past 12 months, I’ve learnt that not only is our illness and suffering dismissed by those around us, we are dismissing our fellow warriors in recovery. This insight led to a lightbulb moment on my part of all the dismissal I had done to myself. Gaslighting and dismissal is not a system thing, it’s a people thing.
From what I understand, there is no other podcast out there sharing the lived experience of real-life people like you and me.
Migraine is the most complex neurological disorder; it is also the most common. There is little to no interest in it from a medical perspective and yet I’ve found it fascinating to research.
Change is coming…are you in?
In other news
Last week’s launch of Free To Be Me was EPIC!
Similarly to the podcast recording just before, it surpassed expectation, intention and brought to life all I have been dreaming and envisioning for the past 4 years.
In what other spaces can you arrive, all masks off, no need to explain ANYTHING, surrounded by those who automatically GET it?
This is a space I dreamt of back in 2018. I didn’t have it so I’m here to create it.
Somewhat of a poem to just about sum up this month’s launch of Free To Be Me:
Freedom to move
Freedom to be late
Freedom to disappear
Freedom to tend to needs
Freedom to see to distractions
Freedom to connect deeply
With self
With others
Freedom – as always – to show up as you are.
Exploring our inner world. How it felt in our body.
Scary. Sticky. Achy.
Painful. Unease. Unknown.
Welcome. Frightened. Soothing. Relaxing.
All manner. All range. All mixture of emotions.
No labelling
No judgment
No telling one another what to do
Trusting
Guiding
Tuning in
Listening
Voicing
Sharing
Hearing. Seeing. Witnessing.
Space – held – beautifully.
Even though I forgot to open it with candles.
Sacred. Held. Brave. Safe.
Insights gleaned
Wisdom shared
Feeling
Knowing
Connection
With self
With one another
Comforted
Agitated
Swear words
Practices landing as single, as empowering, as engaging, as transformative.
One to take away. If the fancy takes you.
Movement. Reframe.
Breathwork is movement.
We can come back to our breath at any time.
It’s all ok.
We’re all ok.
Leaving empowered. Not always feeling better. But safe in the knowing that things can get better.
Light shining. At the end of the tunnel.
And its getting brighter.
Heart heat
Healing
It’s nice to be here
In body
Uncomfortable
Painful too
Breathing deeply
Into that space
Of feeling, of knowing
Of something more.
This is what it feels like to be free.
Free to be me.
The next Free To Be Me will be on Thursday 9th January (normally the first Thursday of each month, but, well, it’s Christmas).
See you in circle in the New Year?
Book your space here.
Join us. All masks off.
Further reading
More insight into the history behind Friday 13th and why I believe chronic illness is most prevalent in women:
👏🏼 Yey!!!!!! Free to be me! 💚💚
This sounds really exciting Amber!