Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.
She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges.
In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines.
Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.
Food for thought: "I never write to disappear and escape. The truth is exactly the opposite. Most people strike me as escaping and disappearing in one way or another - into their jobs, their daily routines, their delusions about ...
Something inspirational: “Anyone can learn to fight. Hardly anyone learns to think.” TAMSYN MUIR, Gideon the Ninth Muir's quote reminds us that fighting is not just about physical strength; it can mean arguing, resisting ...
Food for thought: “All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you.” OCTAVIA E. BUTLER, Parable of the Sower This quote reminds us that everything we do has an impact, and every experience changes ...
You're absolutely right. I don't believe any of us can hide their weaknesses for long. Even if we think we aren't showing any weakness, someone will always pick it up. Thanks Lisa.
My inner strength has pretty much been the only thing that has kept me going all these years, when I so desperately wanted to just give up.
People have taken advantage of my outside weaknesses when I mistakenly opened up to them which is why I try not to show it now. I've made far too many bad choices in weak moments, which is something I can't continue doing.
I have to concentrate on the present and trying to do the best I can, to do what I need to do to keep myself going!
Thanks Randy. I think many of us make our worst decisions in our weakest moments Randy. We're more vulnerable at that moment and which is when we often need the most support, but others will often take advantage of that fact.
I agree with you that trying to do your best now is the only way to go. What's happened in the past has gone. What's important is where you go and what you do from here.
My inner strength is evident. Most people recognize it and respect it, but someone will always interpret my kindness for weakness and then I'm forced to give them a dose of stern righteousness.
Like Randy, people have tried to take advantage of what they mistakenly perceive as outside weakness, but I can be gentle and strong too.
Thanks Tim. I feel what you're describing seems fairly normal in today's society. We interpret what we want to interpret and then behave in accordance with those interpretations as we undoubtedly mistake people's strengths for their weaknesses etc.
Many of us will continue to misinterpret many things about many people and I find that very sad. An effort should be made on all sides so that we interpret people correctly and act in accordance with people's behaviour.
I'll agree to that. If we're not strong on the inside how can we be strong on the outside.
Our weakness will show on the outside.
You're absolutely right. I don't believe any of us can hide their weaknesses for long. Even if we think we aren't showing any weakness, someone will always pick it up. Thanks Lisa.
My inner strength has pretty much been the only thing that has kept me going all these years, when I so desperately wanted to just give up.
People have taken advantage of my outside weaknesses when I mistakenly opened up to them which is why I try not to show it now. I've made far too many bad choices in weak moments, which is something I can't continue doing.
I have to concentrate on the present and trying to do the best I can, to do what I need to do to keep myself going!
Thanks Randy. I think many of us make our worst decisions in our weakest moments Randy. We're more vulnerable at that moment and which is when we often need the most support, but others will often take advantage of that fact.
I agree with you that trying to do your best now is the only way to go. What's happened in the past has gone. What's important is where you go and what you do from here.
My inner strength is evident. Most people recognize it and respect it, but someone will always interpret my kindness for weakness and then I'm forced to give them a dose of stern righteousness.
Like Randy, people have tried to take advantage of what they mistakenly perceive as outside weakness, but I can be gentle and strong too.
Thanks Tim. I feel what you're describing seems fairly normal in today's society. We interpret what we want to interpret and then behave in accordance with those interpretations as we undoubtedly mistake people's strengths for their weaknesses etc.
Many of us will continue to misinterpret many things about many people and I find that very sad. An effort should be made on all sides so that we interpret people correctly and act in accordance with people's behaviour.
This is very true and like others here, often rely on my inner strength to see me through at times.
I'm pleased you do. Yes it's amazing how our inner strength sees us through at times.