On Celebrating Small Victories
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
It seems as though every turbulent period I experience in this life works to personally serve me the same, much-needed reminder—small victories deserve to be celebrated. This was a concept I first adopted into my way of thinking as a teenager battling anxiety, which later became my staple for how I approached obstacles and uncertainty regarding my physical health in the years that followed. Now, I’m thankful to have built the habit of better viewing life through this type of lens, and have tried to nurture it into slowly becoming more second-nature thinking.
Breaking down the whirlwind of what these last 5 weeks have held—the new challenges, the questions, the fear, yet my forward motion— the significance of magnifying these perhaps subtle instances in which I witness my happiness breaking through only continues to grow.
Having had surgery mid-July, my emotions in the weeks leading up to it were somewhat dominated by anticipation. I consider myself to be brave in many ways, however, anything involving the word “anesthesia” or requiring me to lay on an operating table (thanks medical trauma) truly has me crawling out of my skin. I had hope in the knowledge that this surgery was going to be minor compared to ones I’ve undergone in the past, but nothing could completely dissolve my anxieties and fears. But, guess what? To my surprise, I walked away with a whole list of tiny celebrations from this one event alone, those being:
- I had no adverse reactions to anesthesia! I was totally fine this time!
- This was my first surgery having my EDS diagnosis, so that opened SO many doors in terms of navigating my specific needs (both pre-op and post-op) and actually KNOWING what those needs were. Game changer!
- I work a job that allows me to step away for time to recover (and then take a little more time off to deal with setbacks), so my focus can be entirely on my health.
- My sweet babies, Jude and Primrose, stayed nestled on either side of me on the couch for the whole extent of my healing—a huge gratitude, since it was my first time having surgery without my Stella girl.
- I don’t have to have surgery again any time in the near future (or hopefully ever again!)
All that to say, there have been unexpected hurdles. Five weeks have passed since having surgery and I still don’t entirely feel like myself. New health challenges are always confusing, disheartening, and overwhelming to digest. On top of that, having anything unknown thrown into my usual mix of chronic illness struggles is. . . tiring.
And that’s exactly why completing my Yin Yoga Teaching certification this past weekend was a special victory for me personally. I knew I needed something to look forward to, something that would give me a win, and something that would remind me that I’m still taking steps forward despite a little mess in my life. I knew it’d be challenging for my body to get through, but I was proud of myself for accomplishing the task (all while dealing with an active dislocation) and doing so alongside my friends.
I feel encouraged by the direction I’m heading and am thankful for the moments, however brief they may sometimes be, that remind me that I’m supported and getting along just fine!
