The Courage To Be Who You Really Are & What Is This Blog All About l SMart Choice Lifestyle

The shorter version is that SMart Choice Lifestyle was created with the thought of supporting a brain healthy lifestyle with MS, whilst sharing my experiences of living with the condition and all that I do in between. It then transformed into a general MS platform for the Romanian MSers, but that didn’t continue much, as I didn’t think of myself as experimented as to deal with people’s lives and health.

I’m the type of person that if I am not well prepared to do something, I prefer to not do it until I can really do something worth while. So a few months passed, SMart once more became a personal platform, with an intent to inform and give advice on all types of MS-related issues, such as symptoms, diet and lifestyle. It went on as a tri-weekly blog that had predetermined / themed days that I never stopped brainstorming subjects for (exhausting and frustrating to say the least!).

Here I was, with a lot of personal experience to write about, heartfelt and caring topics to approach, and I focused only on giving the “correct information”, the “researched information”. Don’t get me wrong though. I am always documenting and doing my research from multiple sources before I even dare to trust or believe a piece of information, but this process I was going through was so sterile that I could not put up with it no longer.

So I went on vacation for the winter holidays. Three weeks of vacation that is! Time in which I promised myself I wouldn’t stress so much about the blog as I previously did. Was it successful? Of course not! I had on and off ideas, checked my analytics and drafted new articles from fresh topics.

I began 2016 with the same structure in mind, but finally realised that it didn’t do me (or you) any justice. The MS community and myself needed an authentic voice, not a shared-info-in-my-own-view kind of blog. It sounded more fair to me that way. So I went back to the drawing board and came up with the shapes that best represent who I am and what I stand for.

SMart Choice Lifestyle is my online home. A place where I can invite you all to start a conversation about many topics, whilst raising awareness about MS in the process.

Multiple sclerosis currently affects more than 2.5 milion people worldwide. Although it is a recognized serious illness, many people don’t know much about it and how it affects people’s lives and society’s wellbeing as a whole. I must admit that before receiving my diagnosis I was one of those people. I thought the term “sclerosis” meant you were old and unfortunately senile. Boy, was I in for a surprise!

For the past year and a half browsing through the online MS community, I’ve met so many inspiring and strong people who live with MS on a daily basis. These people always have a kind word to say, in spite of their situation. In 2016, I’m looking forward to meet and learn even more from others living with MS and to dedicate most of my time to share from my experience, to try and help each one of them as best as I can.

Since I’ve discovered the online MS community I have felt less alone. I have felt so inspired by the advice and support that I have received in the past. I only hope that I can offer back the same kind of help to fellow MSers who need it a much as I did when starting this chronic journey.

I find it very easy to talk about my illness, so feel free to open a conversation if you want to know more about it. Ask questions and I’ll be happy to answer them for you. MS is nothing to be ashamed or feel vulnerable about. It’s just a disease that happened to me, the person you have already known for years, or that you are just getting to know via this blog.

To be totally honest, it does change the rules of the game a bit. It has made me less tolerant to wasting time on useless, stressful things and conversations, fights or things that are going nowhere. It has made me understand that I’m not that special (as many of us tend to think about ourselves at some point). MS hits randomly and without a known cause. Once it hits, there is no known cure, you have to live with it for the rest of your life.

Who am I to complain about my fate when there are people who deal with even worse situations in their fight with MS? From another point of view, it has helped me become humble, see the greater picture and how we all have a predetermined place in the world.

Everything that happens, every person that we meet and everything we go through is meant to teach us a lesson. Open your eyes. See the lesson behind every aspect of life. You’ll be as surprised as I was to see all that you need to learn!

MS has made me stronger. It has made me realise that we all have a defined purpose in life and that we must do the smart choice (pun intended) and go for the gold! Go do that very thing that scares us the most, but in which we find the most satisfaction and happiness.

This blog is also a platform where I can share my passion for the visual arts, for understanding the intricate web of the human mind and spirituality, whilst writing short stories and essays on various other topics. It is a place where I can let you know how am I doing at yoga practice and what have I learned about neuropsychology and health.

Expect to read posts on all things healthy living, having a balanced lifestyle, yoga struggles and tips and tricks, the belief in the higher power of God, meditation, mindfulness and prayer, soothing the mind, books, stories and writers, photography, movies and music, with an occasional travel diary from wherever my life will bring me to.

Also, be prepared for articles about human psychology, the anatomy of the nervous system, neurology, people’s social behaviour and emotions and how does that all link to living with a chronic illness like MS.

If you got here and didn’t get tired reading all this, if you’re looking forward to being witness and a part of my journey, you might as well sign up to my email list, to be sure you’ll get the three main articles I publish every week, plus an occasional fourth or fifth post when I have something new to share!

Thank you for taking the time to be here!

Until next time, make the SMart Choices for your lifestyle ;)

Love,

Alexandra

P.S. To all my fellow MSers out there: SMILE! It hugs your soul! :)

The Fear of Being Judged and How Can That Mess With Your Online Content

So I’ve been blogging for quite some time now and my inner perfectionist hasn’t been pleased with the results. Each week, I almost forced myself to find new and relevant subjects to write about, making myself forget why I even started SMart Choice in the first place. That alone can get one feel frustration, anxiety and lack of accomplishments.

And then it dawned on me! I was doing it all wrong! A personal blog shouldn’t be built upon what others expect you to write or on what topics you think people might be interested in! Of course you want to put out your best content and make people either feel better about themselves or help their day in one way or another. Of course you want to put out informative and entertaining content that they ask for and/or need at some point.

The part that almost got out of hand is that where I ended up with general subject posts, when all that I wanted to do in the first place is to write from my own point of view, and thus be able to share my story with like-minded people who might be facing the same situations.

But the mind is equally powerful in two ways: it can make or it can brake your ideas. I’ve written before about why I started a platform talking about my MS story and related topics, but the core-reason slipped away.

I remember how alone I used to feel after receiving my diagnosis and all the frustration towards not knowing no one my age that dealed with the same issues. I searched high and low on the internet, stayed away from all the “classic” horror stories one might find and decided to have a place where I can shine a light over this disease and offer a kind word to anyone who might be in the same situation I was.

I had so many things to say, so many stories to share and so much love and encouragement to give, that I focused to much on doing things by the book and ended up leaving myself somewhere along the road, silenced by my own blog. Imagine that! The irony!

I created a fixed structure that aimed to inform, give health tips and lifestyle articles on a weekly basis, touching some of the “hot topics” in the life of an MSer. Things like fatigue, work and changes have been recurrent topics on SMart Choice, and each generated a fair amount of engagement on Twitter and Instagram.

But where did I fit in? I gasped for air as I searched for the authenticity in the story I wanted to tell. I have been totally honest in all of my articles, but something was missing. That something that sparked in an article here and there and then went off in silence.

We all have the fear of being judged and being labeled, even much so when you have a chronic illness that not many people know about. But now I know better! I thought about all the lovely and brave people I’ve got to know over the last year, and that gave me back the courage to speak my own voice. So many MSers out there came into their own and I feel like it’s time for me to do that too.

After all, I am not defined by my illness, but by my power to live life to the fullest, by the things that I am good at and by the kindness I am so wanting to put out in the world. Long story short, I want to rebuild SMart Choice Lifestyle and shape it around the life and the stories I can give to the world. Make it about the point of view that I can add to so many others that are online.

Expect books, short story writing, visual storytelling, yoga, psychology, brain health and more. All that lived on top of what we MSers call “the snowflake disease”, and that others might know as multiple sclerosis.

It feels so good to take that out of my chest! Especially after the massive anxiety attack I had last night. It came out of nowhere and lifted all my senses into flaming fear. But that’s a whole other article. Soon to come!

Sorry if for some of you it might sound a little overdramatic, that’s how my writing tends to be. It’s missing all the voice, gestures and tonallity that you would have when hearing me talk about the same stuff in real life. Curious about any aspect I talk about? Just ask and I’ll be happy to give you an answer as soon as I can.

Lots of love,

Alexandra

December 2015 - Monthly Favorites & Inspiration - #LifestyleFriday

This is the part where I tell you all about my December favorites and inspiration sources. Let’s get to it!

The first thing I want to mention is Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic”. And a big magic...al book it is! If you ever wanted to boost your creative activities or career whilst accepting and getting over the fear of failure, this is the book for you. It’s part motivational, part self-disclosure, as Liz takes us through examples of her own life and what has she learned about the ongoing battle between creativity and fear. The book was the gift I gave myself for turning 30.

Besides her, other inspirational people I learned a lot from were Gary Vaynerchuk and Tony Robbins and Marie Forleo. Such motivational and hard-working people!

Another important staple of my month was a recap of all the Star Wars movies. My boyfriend persuaded me into getting to know/remember what the story of Vader and Skywalker is. We awakened the Force by watching them in chronological order. As we saw little Anakin grow up and bit by bit turn into Lord Vader, I couldn’t help but to think of how similar the message is to budhism and the no violence philosophy!

That leads us to the next favorite.

Yoga played a huge role in my life for this month also. I have been doing Vinyasa Yoga for more than a year now, every single day. This month, as it was all rushed and had loads of things to do, I was fine with doing only about 10 minutes of it with or without the help of my lovely Adriene Mishler (Yoga With Adriene on Youtube) during my morning routine and then going off to my other tasks. But don’t be mislead: a little yoga goes a loooong way! It’s more about connecting to your body and easing up the mind, making your day more at ease.

The way I managed the holiday stress and my MS was by sticking to meditating for at least 20 minutes a day (10 min in the morning and 10 min in the evening, before I went to bed). It allowed me to let go of all the December cheer that was too much at some point. Taking time to clear your mind and relax the body does wonders for your overall wellbeing. Plus you get to find out how well (or not) you react if an itch happens while you’re standing still! True story! Seriously now, in time, it teaches you how to be patient and don’t react to every tiny thing that happens to you. It teaches you acceptance and how to become more at peace with yourself.

Every morning, just after I got out of bed, I went into the kitchen and made myself a glass of lemon water. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze one of it, pour it into about 500 ml of water and drink it all then and there. It cleanses and hidrates your body from the inside out, kickstarting the metabolism and making you feel better. Can’t stand the taste of lemon? Put about 1-2 teaspoons of honey. Morning lemonade. Enjoy! I forgot to mention tangerines and oranges! The only fruit that make the house smell like Christmas when you open them.

As I mentioned before, I’m opening my own business, in spite of dealing with a diagnosis like multiple sclerosis. December was the month I always decide to relax and unwind so that I come back strong the following year. I worked so hard throughout the year and my mind needed a rest from all that. What use am I to this blog if I get exhausted? 

So, starting from the 21th of December, I layed back, got the Christmassy mood on and enjoyed some well-deserved time with family and friends. I thought and did most of the things that I love, not forgetting to express my gratitude for the wins, blessings and life lessons I received throughout 2015.

This was all for this week’s #LifestyleFriday and for 2015 posts! 
Thanks for being here!

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Love,

Alexis