Gift

December 30th Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

The most memorable, and important, gift I received this year was the message that I can change my story at any time. It's been a few years now since I started experiencing daily chronic pain, and I've found peace through acceptance. And yet, at a recent healing circle, I stumbled across a novel idea - I have the power to change the story I tell about myself. I've been experimenting with telling myself a new story when a muscle spasms or fibromyalgia flare-up begins. Instead of letting my focus be trained on the pain or accepting the pain or even on what modifications or self care I need to cope with it, I create a new story. I give myself Reiki, and I choose a new story about feeling great. I've noticed that within a few minutes the pain has receded to the background and my mood is cheerful and energized. Perhaps I don't have the power to change my physical body with my thoughts, but it does seem I can change my perceptions and experience of the situation. This is empowering stuff!