Living Vulnerably: Embracing Uncertainty and Finding Empowered Peace

We all have different sides to ourselves.Sometimes, those sides can feel like two different people. I know that’s often the case for me.On some days, I feel energised and ready to take on the world, while on other days, crushed under the weight of pain and exhaustion (hat tip endometriosis and her big sister adeno, with an entourage of chronic fatigue and fibro to boot).This duality can be difficult to navigate. For me, it’s so important to remember that both sides of the wave exist.

Some days, I am the smiling girl at the gym or in my happy place in the river. Oher days, I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and flattened by the limitations of my body.Energised me forgets, still, that the flipside happens.

Exhausted me finds it hard to believe that the other me will come back.

Both Jo’s exist. Both Jo’s get their time as the main wave.

The challenge is being okay with never knowing which way my body is going to go on any day/hour.It’s important to embrace the uncertainty that comes with going with the flow.

Living vulnerably, for me, means accepting that I don't always know which way my body will go on any given day or hour. This is an uncertainty that can be deeply, bone achingly frustrating - especially for those of us who are ambitious and driven. We want to navigate our lives with purpose and intention, but sometimes our bodies or minds have other plans.

The only thing that's certain is that everything changes. It’s in this place that we can find empowered peace -  by accepting and embracing the uncertainty that comes with it.

The only thing that's certain is that everything changes.

Living vulnerably doesn't mean giving up on our deep held ambitions, goals, or dreams.It means acknowledging that we may not always be able to achieve them in the way we want or expect. 

It might be that we need to adjust our expectations, or take a different approach. We may need to prioritize self-care and rest when our bodies or minds need it.

There is immense strength to be found in accepting both sides of ourselves and knowing that we always have the ability to come back from the wave.

By living vulnerably and embracing uncertainty, we can find a sense of empowered peace in life - whether that’s riding a wave in the sun, or snuggled under a weighted blanket in full surrender.

Jo 

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TLDR: Jo Gifford shares her personal journey of living with chronic conditions like endometriosis and chronic fatigue, revealing the struggles and insights of embracing both energetic and exhausted days, and finding peace in the uncertainty of her health.

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Jo Gifford is a wild swimming, weight lifting, cat napping introvert author, writer and content dev pro with ADHD flailing somewhere in the midlife megamix. Connect with me on Instagram!