Affirmations…for the Ride of Life.
One of the wonderful benefits of working at Health Journeys has to be the inspiring, heartwarming stories from our customers and clients that regularly flow into our offices. In a world where we are bombarded by awful, tragic stories and a breakneck-speed way of living, it does one’s soul well to hear the good stuff.
A story just like this crossed my desk last month, accompanied by a great photo that is sure to make you smile. That sharp lady you see on the Harley-Davidson motorcycle is Hattie Goodman – a 91-year-old Harley enthusiast, and a volunteer at the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This building, by all accounts, is everything from a daycare and respite facility for children, the disabled and elderly alike, to a do-it-all community center and outpatient rehab center. It takes the most treasured resources of our society – the elderly and children – and brings them together in an incredible environment of sharing, learning and love. Ms. Goodman serves in loads of ways there, not the least of which being their Mrs. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny’s Helper and their Halloween’s Pink Pirate! She does all this and more, while enjoying her great-granddaughter who attends daycare at the Center.
I know of Hattie through her fantastic daughter, Mary McCormick (seated on the bike with her mom), who worked with her mother to bring the Center’s Parkinson’s Support Group a copy of Belleruth’s affirmations from the Parkinson’s Disease CD. After playing the audio itself to the group, Hattie and Mary encouraged each member to choose an affirmation per day when they awaken, and repeat that during their day. Mary writes:
Hattie's group met last Tuesday and some of the participants did do the assignment I gave to pick an affirmation daily and repeat it throughout the day. Those individuals found saying that affirmation repeatedly impacted their mood positively and gave them confidence to make it through their day.
I have to say, I’m not a bit surprised at the success this group experienced. We regularly receive feedback that reveals a segment of our program users who actually prefer affirmations to the guided imagery segments themselves. As we’ve all heard, ‘we can’t control the wind, but we can adjust the sails’ – and repeating affirmations throughout the day certainly has the power to adjust our attitudes and the manner in which we react to our environment. An added benefit of affirmations is the fact that they won’t make you drowsy, and those tracks can be listened to anywhere, anytime. A set of positive mantras running in the background is sure to help, no matter what challenges find their way into your day.
I believe every CD that Belleruth creates carries an affirmations track, with the exception of Healthful Sleep, Treatment-Related Fatigue and Radiation. We even have an Affirmations-only CD that I like to keep handy in my car.
Mary further writes:
My Mom has definitely taught me that volunteering & service in one's community is important to a full, happy and healthy life!
We couldn’t agree more. So please, keep the inspirational stories coming. And thank you, Hattie, for starting that marvelous Parkinson’s support group 19 years ago…ride on!
