Acceptance & Self-Compassion (with Mayelly Alexandra Casal)
Episode 4: Acceptance & Self-Compassion\xa0
\u201cI had\u2026 to accept what was going to be. If I was going to go back to being as active as I had been or if I would need to reinvent myself.\u201d\xa0
\u201cI redefined [my life] and my expectations were different\u2026 I have a good life!\u201d
\u201cLife is still good, even when there is sadness.\u201d
\u2013 Mayelly Alexandra Casal, LMHC, MCAP
\xa0Therapist Mayelly Alexandra Casal (Alex) was at her peak level of fitness when a freak accident broke her ankle in 3 places. As a result, Alex endured years of surgeries and rehab and was confined to a wheel chair for 6 months, unsure of whether she would ever regain full use of her leg. Stay tuned for Alex\u2019s emotional account.
\xa0This experience taught Alex some important life lessons.
\xb7\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 She became more sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities. For example, being in a wheelchair made her realize that the disabled ramp in her office needed to be updated.
\xb7\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 Alex had always considered herself to be a humble person, till she was confined to a wheelchair for six months and says that was when she truly learned the meaning of humility. From the vantage point of her wheelchair, she experienced pity, indifference and often felt invisible.\xa0
\xb7\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 She says that she had to hold on firmly to the concept of who she was; \u201cI\u2019m still me, I\u2019m not my legs, I\u2019m not my body\u2026 I continue to be me; it\u2019s just that I\u2019m sitting in a wheelchair.\u201d
\xb7\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 When faced with the uncertainty of whether she would ever regain full strength in her leg, Alex drew on the resilience she had gained some years prior, from her experience with infertility.\xa0
\xb7\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 She applied the principle of ACCEPTANCE in her life; to \u201caccept what was going to be\u201d.
\xb7\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 The principle of ACCEPTANCE may involve having to redefine your goals.\xa0
\xb7\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 Grief comes in waves, therefore SELF-COMPASSION - the ability to see your own pain - is an important coping skill to have.\xa0
\xb7\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \u201cLife is still good, even when there is sadness.\u201d
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Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Addictions Professional Mayelly Alexandra Casal is the founder and owner of Centered in Self Counseling and Coaching Services, LLC. Alex believes that learning to love ourselves, despite our imperfections, is a powerfully healing tool. Her tag line is \u201cLoving yourself is not about being self-centered. It\u2019s about being centered in self.\u201d\xa0
\xa0Get the book \u201cReflections of a Hopemonger\u201d on Amazon: Reflections of A Hopemonger https://www.amazon.com/dp/9988902301/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Q8NW4C08KNF95M6HVVF5
Click below to download my FREE document \u201cA Powerful Strategy to (Re)build Hope in Challenging Times\u201d. https://mailchi.mp/b1b7ab9b9829/powerfulstrategytorebuildhopefreebie\xa0