It’s Day 30 of My 30-in-30 Writing Assignment!

I did it! I made it through my self-imposed 30-in-30 writing assignment. Wow, what a roller coaster it has been. I really learned a lot about what I am capable of and a little about over-doing it. Before sitting down today to write this post I looked back over the previous 29 and was actually impressed with the quality of what I put out there, even on the days when the last thing I wanted to do was to sit at my computer and write.  I thought I would do a little recap of the posts and my health and frame of mind the day I wrote them.

My Favorite Posts from the Last 30 Days

1. I Do Not Want to Think About Fibromyalgia Everyday – This post came on day three of my assignment when I realized the reason I have not been writing about Fibromyalgia everyday is because I do not want to THINK about Fibromyalgia everyday. I really enjoyed this post because I got to shout out loud, “I am more than my diagnosis!”
2. Secrets of My Soul – Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind is written large in his works. – Virginia Woolf. This is a piece from a creative non-fiction/personal essay class I am taking.
3. Conversation on Isolation – This started as a conversation in the comments of a previous post, but I made it into a new post to continue the conversation, and also to applaud the commenter, Kathy, for speaking out and holding me accountable for my word choice.
4. Practice May Not Make Perfect, But it Can Make a Habit – Hope that my 30-in-30 writing assignment will make writing more habitual for me.
5. Things I Love #6: My New Office – My new Fibromyalgia friendly office. Love it!
6. The Law of Detachment – In order to acquire anything in the physical universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it – and how this applies to me and my support group.
7. Misery Loves Company – Where I proceed to rip apart the most ignorant, inaccurate and judgmental acupuncturist to every treat Fibromyalgia. His article perpetuates every negative and inaccurate assumption about Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
8. My Six-Word Memoir – I have pain, therefore I am. NOTE: I have pain, but I am not my pain. Look for a post soon on “I am…”
9. Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone: An Interview with My Niece – I interviewed my 13 year old niece about her thoughts on having an Auntie with Fibromyalgia and how it affects her. Maybe my favorite of my favorite posts.

Most Informative Pieces from the Last 30 Days

1. Why I Love Yoga, and Why You Will Too – I cannot emphasis enough how much I have come to love yoga and the improvements in my symptoms since I began practicing several weeks ago. This post is my attempt to entice you to try yoga for yourself.
2. New Book on Fibromyalgia – Claims to Fill in the Missing Pieces – Information from a press release I received – not an endorsement.
3. Bloggers Unite for Fibromyalgia Awareness Day – On Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, I shared how some of my fellow bloggers acknowledged the significance of the day on their blogs. Great way to discover some new bloggers.
4. Review: Treating Fibromyalgia Naturally — So You Can Shine Again – From the womentowomen.com newsletter. I found this to be a very realistic, in touch and accurate assessment of Fibromyalgia.
5. Online Social Networking for Fibromyalgia Support and Information – Part one in my series on Fibromyalgia support and information – focus on social networking sites.
6. Online Forums for Fibromyalgia Support and Information – Part two in my series on Fibromyalgia support and information – focus on online forums and support groups.
7. Online Resources for Fibromyalgia Support and Information – Part three in my series on Fibromyalgia support and information – focus on blogs and general resources.
8. Join Hillary for Her Next Teleseminar – I continue to follow and recommend the meaningful work of Hillary Rubin and her inspirational message about embracing your diagnosis as a gift, teacher and blessing.
9. Self-hypnosis for Treatment of Fibromyalgia – Just one more possible tool for our toolboxes.

There were Three Holidays/Days of Observance in the Month of May

1. Are You Aware? Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is May 12 – In 1993, May 12 was designated as the International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases. The National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) joined the Awareness Day effort in 1997 and has led the call for increased recognition of fibromyalgia each May 12.
2. In Honor of Every Mom Living with Chronic Illness – Happy Mother’s Day!
3. Take a Minute and Pause – In observance of Memorial Day.

Fun and Mindless Posts I Wrote on What Normally Would Have Been a Down Day

1. 15 Counterproductive, Needless, and Delaying Things I Did Today – I had a lot of fun with this post, and if you have not yet watched the 2 minute video on procrastination, it is a must! Maybe I should move this up into my favorite posts category.
2. Best Chocolate Cake Ever! Just Happens to be Gluten Free – Yummm!
3. It’s a Down Day – Example of a post I never would have written were it not for my assignment. It was day 12 and I was feeling awful, but committed to completing my assignment. Not much of an effort, but much better than giving up!
4. Taking the Easy Way Out – Day 13 was not much better, so I copied 25 Random Things About Me from my facebook page and posted it here. It was the easy way out, but it still honored my commitment. Yea me!
5. Recognize My Wall? – Just another bad day.
6. Another Careless Doctor to Avoid – Found something quick and simple to write about, but that doesn’t mean it is not worth the read.

So there it is, my last thirty days! I am seriously impressed with what I was able to accomplish, and very proud that I never gave up. There were moments – as early as day three – when I wondered “why did I do this to myself?” and I had several loving and caring people in my life tell me to take it easy and not demand too much of myself. It really would have been easy and perfectly understandable to quit on one of the many bad days I had throughout the month, but that is just not me.

Fibromyalgia has taken many things away from me, but I am still the same determined, stubborn and resilient person I have always been. I still have the abilities that made me a top sales rep at my previous job, I just need to apply them in a new and less demanding direction.

You know the saying “objects in motion stay in motion,” well this was my mantra when I was in sales. The more I got out there everyday to visit accounts, the more new accounts and new sales seemed to fall into my lap. Wouldn’t you know it, the same thing happened in the middle of this writing assignment. I picked up a new monthly newsletter that I am going to be writing for, and something else so exciting I have to wait until everything is finalized before I share it with you. Fibromyalgia or not, very cool things can happen if you believe in yourself, honor your passions, and never give up on your potential.