I don't know where you get it from!

I was out for an afternoon walk with my mum recently and I was telling her about my plans for the year.

Those plans, as you may have read in my newsletter, involve climbing Mount Snowdon in July and then doing my second Tough Mudder later on in the year. We spent the next 20 minutes or so discussing snowdon, and what we thought it'd be like. Then we moved on to Tough Mudder. I got really excited thinking / talking about what this years event had in store.

At this point in the conversation, my mum said "I don't know where you get it from, me and your father wouldn't dream of doing something like that."

This got me thinking. She was right. Out of everyone in my family, I'm the only one who purposely goes out to do stupid sh*t. I started to think about my WHY?

- I like doing stupid sh*t, it makes me feel alive
- I like to find and smash my own physical and mental limits
- One day, my auto immune disease will win, and i'll not be able to physically do stupid sh*t

As i'm writing this blog, I have an injection warming up on the table so I can inject a medication that will help slow the destruction going on in my body. This medication will never be good enough to completely cure me. it'll never completely stop the pain and it will probably do more harm than good, in the long run, if I believe the recent medical reports. But right now, it's all i've got and I'm bloody thankful for it. Not only does my treatment/care cost the NHS 4 figure sums on a monthly basis, it's painful to inject and it's a pain in he butt on a logistics level. That little vile of clear, cold fluid allows me live a little more comfortably, reduces pain and gives me hope that my mum will be able to carry on saying "I don't know where you get it from" for a few more years.

99% of the time, this whole situation doesn't bother me at all. I'm not one to worry about things i cannot change. But occasionally, it scares the crap out of me. That's ok too, because it's just another mental challenge that I get to conquer.

Do something "stupid" this year. Something that challenges you both physically and mentally. It'll make you or break you. Either way you'll know if to push for harder limits or be able to smash your limits next time.

Let me know what you decide to do.

Much love
Dee
Miss Make It Happen

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Dreams and Tomorrows

We've all been guilty of putting things off and using the phrase "i'll do it tomorrow..." but just like "i'll start the diet on Monday..." - Tomorrow never comes.

When I was 13 years old my Nannie was diagnosed with cancer. It was a massive blow for the family as the original diagnosis was sore throat and an ear ache. Within a year we'd gone from smiles to funerals. She was such a beautiful kind soul and was taken way in her early 50s.

My Grandad, who has always been my hero, gave up work to care for my Nannie. He was such a hard working man and even at my young age I could tell how much he loved my Nannie. Fast forward 12 years and i'm sitting on the sofa with Gramps telling him i'm going to start my own business. Everyone else told me I was mad, asked if I was scared or were not sure if i was serious. My Gramps on the other hand told me that I had a big decision to make - Would I be the boss who was a friend or not... Because once I made up my mind this would be the basis of my career. The way I treated others would lay out my future. The guy was a genius. During the same conversation he told me that he was proud of me. I had to try not to cry. He then explained that when he was younger he always dreamed of opening his own construction company but for reasons I won't say here, he never "got round to it". I could tell that he was so happy that i'd decided to follow the dream he never did. At the end of the conversation he offered me access to what would be my inheritance. I took £300 and headed off in to the hard world of self employment.

Sadly my Grandad passed away in 2012, at the age of 70, never realising his full potential or achieving his dreams. I vowed that I would never do the same. For myself and for him.

My Nannie was taken away young - A massive reminder that our tomorrows are not guaranteed.
My Grandad lived with regret at not following his dream - A huge reminder that we are here only once and we should make the mistakes, take the risks and do the things we want to do. I was lucky to have an amazing relationship with my Nannie and Gramps and i'll always use them to guide me through life.

Please don't make the same mistakes. Do what you want to do - FOR YOU!
You'll be much happier on your death bed laughing about the time you had to live on baked beans for a month because you took a risk rather than playing it safe. You're also not guaranteed a tomorrow so start living for today. I don't want to depress you all just before xmas but I do want to make you think before you plan your 2016.

Make it count.
Much Love
Dee xx

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