This is my 80th blog post. Hurray!
A few years ago, when I decided to start writing a blog, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. What would I write about? Who would read it? And most importantly: could I keep it going?
To be completely transparent, I wasn’t sure I’d keep up with it. After all, it’s another commitment of time, energy and brainpower. You know, just “another thing” on top of “everything else.”
But once I started, I really found that I enjoyed it immensely! I think part of the secret is that I chose to see my blog as an OPPORTUNITY. A chance to process ideas, thoughts and feelings. A way of asking for feedback. A method of de-cluttering my own neurotransmitters so that I could keep things flowing as freely as possible up there.
Don’t get me wrong – there have been those times that I’ve hit walls. The “I don’t know what to write about this week” wall. The “I’m tired and just want to watch Bull tonight” wall. The “I’m not sure how people are going to respond to this” wall.
In those moments, I always think about our amazing members and their loving families. I think about the walls they inevitably hit along their own dementia journeys. I think about their ability to persist through the hardest times – those moments when you don’t know how you got here, and you’re not sure what’s coming next.
Their display of persistence is ALL the inspiration I need to sit down and start typing.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned during my “blog project” thus far is that if you need to push through walls and keep going, it’s important to have a powerful “What For.” A meaningful answer to the question “What For?” can serve as the key to unlocking persistence and the most powerful fuel for endurance.
For some of our families, I imagine that their “What For” is their loved one – staying connected to them and enjoying their time together as much as possible. For others, the “What For” might be self-preservation – leverage the power of The Ivey’s whole family support so that the family caregiver doesn’t jeopardize their own health and happiness.
My “What For” is The Ivey community. I’m here to serve them, and this blog is but one way that I can do that.
Is there something in your life that you’re having trouble starting…sticking to…or completing? If so, ask yourself: Do you have a big enough ‘What For?” Figure out what that is, and watch the walls vanish.
As you think about that, I’ll be busy thinking about my 81st blog post. You can count on it!
