True Beauty

"True beauty is born through our actions and aspirations and in the kindness we offer others." Alex Wek

Breathe In The Beauty

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." Jawaharial Nehru

---

When you travel don't forget to breathe and look around you. Traveling can trigger a pain flare so it is important to breathe and notice the beauty around you. Beauty may include the people you are with as well as the beauty from the environment. The importance of taking a breath and noticing the beauty is important not just when traveling, but everyday.

Travel, A Great Resiliency Tool

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller

---

I just returned from a family vacation to Zion National Park. Zion is so beautiful with it's enormous red cliffs and deep slot canyons. The entire family came with us and that made it even more special. We hiked, went out for delicious food, visited a ghost town and had a lot of fun family fun. Although having chronic pain means there were many things I wasn't able to participate in, there were many activities I was able to enjoy. For me, the first victory was just getting there. After that, I focused on what I was able to do and listened to stories from my families adventures to enjoy their experiences through them.

---

Although travel can be difficult when you have chronic pain, the pay-off is almost always worth it. Travel can not only be rejuvenating while it is experienced, but the wonderful memories can be tapped into to build resilience. These memories can be used when faced with a setback or challenge. Just think about the wonderful travel memory and use that as a reprieve from what is happening to you at the present moment. Travel memories are also helpful when meditating.

Life's big experiences, like traveling, can often be difficult with chronic pain, but they are potentially a great resiliency tool.