As a child, I retreated into my own little world. I’m not sure why but I was comfortable in my own space. I was happy there.

We all have issues, but however we get to sort our issues out, they need to be solved and we need to be instrumental in solving them. Often, we ignore that our issues require solutions, or need clarification.

As children, we’re not equipped, but as adults we are expected to problem solve, whether we’re equipped or not. Instinctively we know, the biggest problem for many of us is the application. The problem is our perspective and where we are in our head space. We need time to think.

When we’re in a good head space we are capable of working things out that we fail to accomplish at other times. Running away will make us feel empowered, if only for a finite time, because we're actively choosing not to focus on the present. When we don’t have to think of what’s going on in the here and now that helps.

Our problems don’t exist in the place we’ve arrived at, while we're ignoring them. We have a new focus. We feel good because we’ve temporarily made it that way. But inevitably we will begin to trip up, first on the little things, then eventually on the bigger things, until the bigger things can no longer be ignored.

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.

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6 comments on “Time to think”

  1. I wouldn't expect a child to reflect on circumstances, but I agree as adults we should all be empowered to stand back and reflect on who we are and where we are.

    Unfortunately, not many of us do that and we just coast along with whatever at the time. The status quo is very strong.

    1. Time to think or reflection can come at any age, it's not necessarily a child or adult thing; it's usually when our circumstances warrant it and I think that is key.

      We may also know what we deal with, but will still choose to avoid thinking about these things. Instead, I chose to think about and deal with my issues. Not everyone will or do and therefore won't take the time to think.

  2. Yes, I used to be the same way as a kid, preferring to be alone to deal with my issues. It was also easier than trying to ask for help from my parents, who could barely take care of themselves, let alone 4 kids! I was very smart so I could usually figure things out once I had enough information.

    It was pretty much a crash course in life whether I wanted to do it or not. We didn't often have a chance to reflect on what happened, other than to know if it was right or wrong. We didn't have the luxury of processing our feelings very much, so a lot of them were buried deep within.

    Eventually they do need to come out, but that usually ends badly. I'm just trying to stay focused on the present since I get so easily bogged down with everything else.

    1. Thanks Randy. Yes, quite. I feel your pain as if it were my own. I love the last sentence in your first paragraph.

      You're unbelievably smart Randy. Your responses on the site have shown us all just how smart you are and very clued up. When you say, 'I was very smart so I could usually figure things out once I had enough information,' that's exactly what I feel you must continue.

      It's easy to get distracted, particularly if we don't have the support in our lives and if that's the case we must become our own support, by concentrating our energies on ourself so that we deal with any issues by figuring those issues out.

      There is one thing I am sure, I wouldn't be running and writing my blogs here on site without having figured these things out.

      I'm happy to help where I can.

  3. Somewhere in my mind there's a safe place where I reflect on things no matter how painful. Things are figured out exactly right, until life gets the impulse to strip me naked.

    That's when it's time to think harder and be consciously careful about my next move.

    1. Thanks Tim. Yes, it doesn't matter how long it takes as long as we get there. You're right. The key is to figure out exactly what we need to know so that we move forward with our lives.

      However we work out our next move, it's important to keep connecting with our thoughts consciously. It's our conscious thoughts that keep us in the herein now. We have to make sure we're making the right decisions.

      I tend to rely on my intuition and it's my intuition that leads the way. With any decision it's important we leave nothing to chance.

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