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How Cool Is This?!

March 9, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 1 Comment

The Frequency Holders

The outward movement into form does not express itself with equal intensity in all people. Some feel a strong urge to build, create, become involved, achieve, make an impact upon the world….Others, after the natural expansion that comes with growing up has run its course, lead an outwardly unremarkable, seemingly more passive and relatively uneventful existence.

They are more inward looking by nature, and for them the outward movement into form is minimal. They would rather return home than go out. They have no desire to get strongly involved in or change the world. If they have any ambitions, they usually don’t go beyond finding something to do that gives them a degree of independence. Some of them find it hard to fit into this world. Some are lucky enough to find a protective niche where they can lead a relatively sheltered life, a job that provides them with a regular income or a small business of their own.

…In past ages, they would probably have been called contemplatives. There is no place for them, it seems, in our contemporary civilization. On the arising new earth, however, their role is just as vital as that of the creators, the doers, the reformers. Their function is to anchor the frequency of the new consciousness on this planet. I call them the frequency-holders. They are here to generate consciousness through the activities of daily life, through their interactions with others as well as through “just being”.

In this way, they endow the seemingly insignificant with profound meaning. Their task is to bring spacious stillness into this world by being absolutely present in whatever they do. There is consciousness and therefore quality in what they do, even the simplest task. Their purpose is to do everything in a sacred manner. As each human is an integral part of the collective human consciousness, they affect the world much more deeply than is visible on the surface of their lives.

-Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth

YES!!

Filed Under: CFG Loves Things Wordy Tagged With: a new earth, eckhart tolle, quotes

Reruns, Or, Can’t You Come Up With Something New?

March 8, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 1 Comment

Since we are still in the season of reruns due to the lingering effects of the writer’s strike, it seems only fitting that this weekend will consist of a repeat of this from 5 years ago.

“So the Explorer decided to take these long, lonely nights outside and use them to plot against us. And for two years it watched, and waited, and planned, and then…it struck back at us by filling itself up with The Most Repulsive Odor Ever Smelled By Human Beings.

There truly are not words to describe just how vile this odor was. It was so bad that it was an actual physical presence that surrounded the car and bodily repelled people away from it. No one would go near that car, and on the occasions when we had no choice but to drive it somewhere we were shunned, because we smelled just as bad as the car did.

And the Explorer laughed its maniacal, evil-genius laugh.”

Filed Under: I Have No Funny Categories For Cars, These Are The Days Of My Life Tagged With: car problems

Ladies And Gentlemen, I Think We Have A Winner

March 7, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 2 Comments

So this week I started piano lessons again for the first time in 4 years. I was a little (or maybe a LOT) anxious, because my last attempt at piano lessons really didn’t go that well.

So I met my new teacher, stumbled through the lesson, and then afterwards-INTENSELY relieved to have made it through all the sucking-we exchanged contact information.

“If you ever need to get in touch with me, I have a cell phone number that only my students have,” he told me as I was writing my check.

“Ooh, like the Bat Phone!” I exclaimed.

“Exactly”, he said, smiling, and so already he was miles ahead of my previous teacher.

Then he handed me his card, and as I looked at it I thought, “Yep, I think this is gonna work out just fine.”

dennis

Filed Under: Playing Well With Others Tagged With: taking piano lessons

It’s Their World-We Just Live Here

March 5, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 2 Comments

Many thanks to Karen for this helpful checklist.

Myers-Briggs As Applied To Cats

bailey

ENTJ “The Little General”: Assumes control of the family and house. He’ll kick you out of his chair and demand half the bed. Doesn’t purr, but glares while being petted as if you’re only doing your duty. Yowls rather than meows.

hunters

ENTP “The Great White Hunter”: King of imaginary bug-chasing. He talks a lot–maybe to you, maybe to something only he can see. Likes to be petted, but only for short periods of time; he’s off as soon as the next synapse fires in his brain.

the king

stuck

ISTP “The Problem-Solver”: This is the cat that will figure out how to get the giblets out of the bottom of the garbage can without knocking anything over. Appreciates his pleasures but not a glutton. Stand-offish, but will put up with an occasional petting session.

chair

INFP: “The Little Angel”: Will look at you sweetly two seconds after she’s shredded the new curtains. Can’t resist the kitchen counter. Likes some lap time, but only on her terms.

Check out the rest of the types here.

Filed Under: CFG And The Laws Of Purr-modynamics, CFG Shares Some Cool Stuff Tagged With: Myers-Briggs for cats

The Best Thing I Heard This Weekend

March 4, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 1 Comment

(read with a heavy Hispanic accent)

“How can you know about the wedgies when you are clearly unfamiliar with the underpants?”

–Puss to Donkey in “Shrek 3”

Filed Under: CFG Loves Things Wordy Tagged With: movies, quotes, shrek 3

Things That Make You Say, “What?!”: Other People

March 3, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 1 Comment

Recently I was informed by a person of my acquaintance that, in fact, they “did not believe” that I actually wake up 53 times an hour when I sleep unaided by my CPAP machine.

I was totally distracted for the rest of the day, because I was completely unable to comprehend how that person could have possibly interpreted this as an issue of belief.

Now, sure, if I had said something like, “Whenever I sleep I am awoken once a minute by tiny, winged elves who flutter down and tap me lightly on the forehead while simultaneously ringing The Golden Chime Of Enlightenment in order that I may uplink to the Mother Ship,” I can totally understand them not believing that. Because everyone knows that this process involves tiny, winged Cyborgs, not elves.

But seriously, there were electrodes, and wires, and highly calibrated pieces of Scientific Measuring Equipment, and a trained technician named Ken. It wasn’t like they just sat me down in a room with a random guy who looked at me, rubbed his temples, and then proclaimed, “I declare…that your number is…FIFTY THREE!”

Apparently this particular person doesn’t believe that sleep apnea is actually a true medical condition. “You know, that label was only created in like the last 20 years or so,” they said, in the condescending tone of someone who believes that I have just been unthinkingly caught up in the latest fad, like designer bottled waters or those hideous clogs called Crocs.

Right. Like I’m choosing to attire myself every night in enough contraptions to be assimilated by the Borg for fun-perhaps as a fashion statement or something.

Of course, if I were continuing to practice mindfulness and self-awareness, I might be inspired to ask why I immediately reacted with such defensiveness to this person’s opinion that doesn’t actually mean anything. But, um, I don’t want to, because sarcasm is just so much more fun.

Filed Under: CFG Says, What?!, Playing Well With Others

Not A Teenager Anymore? No Worries. You Can Still Experience The Glories Of Headgear As An Adult!

February 29, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 3 Comments

See this?

CPAP

This is the lovely contraption I now wear to bed at night.

Oh, and not only do I get to wear that, I also get to wear a mouthpiece that we around here affectionately refer to as, “The Beaver Teeth”, which keeps me from clenching my jaw at night.

Fetching, no?

But even though every time I put this on I feel sort of like a criminal who is so dangerous they must be kept in face restraints at all times (a la Hannibal Lecter), I don’t care.

Because…

Are you ready for this?

I. Now. Sleep. At. Night.

It is a MIRACLE!!

There really are no words to describe it, except THANK YOU.

Filed Under: Sometimes Science Is A Little Wacky Tagged With: CPAP machines, sleep apnea

Still Suffering, After All These Years

February 21, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 2 Comments

Every so often I toy with the idea of going back to school and getting my Ph.D. in Spanish. But I never do, and I think I’ve finally figured out the reason why. Apparently, I’m already doing a post-doc in Suffering and Doing Things The Hard Way. Or, to be more accurate, I’m doing extensive research into how to unlearn this.

Back when I was about to turn 29 and I saw the rest of my life stretching out before me as an endless procession of unhappiness and dissatisfaction, I decided that I had had enough, and by God, I was GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE HAPPY! So I hired my very first coach and got to work.

Now, 6 years later, I have completely transformed myself and my life. And what’s more, I’ve gotten really good at no longer staying stuck in anyplace where I’m suffering emotionally. This is not to say that I never have hard times or never feel anger, sadness, disappointment, and the like. But now I know how to feel what I’m feeling and just let it be without making up all kinds of stories about What This Means, and I have lots of support, and resources, and skills, AND I know that if there’s something I can do to help myself feel better, I can do it. So I’ve gotten really skilled at navigating the flow of all of my emotions.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for those times when I’m facing any kind of physical suffering. Anytime I’m faced with physical pain, it practically takes an act of God for me to realize that maybe, perhaps, there might be a way for me to do things differently and actually feel better.

And apparently the Universe has decided that it’s finally time for me to “get” this, because it’s bringing up those final few places in my life where I’ve had trouble really getting things to work well, and they are all somehow tied into some kind of physical issue.

[Read more…] about Still Suffering, After All These Years

Filed Under: Grin And Bear It, Sometimes I Get Sick, Where Jenny Talks About Her Feelings Tagged With: dealing with health challenges

My Declaration Of Independence (Which Turned Out To Be Quite Long)

February 15, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 9 Comments

I have been in a very quiet, contemplative place lately, watching as some new energy percolates and rises to the surface, and I am now in a place where I am ready to declare independence for myself. I am declaring independence from the belief that I have to make my life match up to anyone else’s definitions of success for my life, as well as from all the places in my mind telling me that my life should somehow be in any way different from the way it is right now.

About six years ago I decided to leave the work-a-day world and go into business for myself. I’ve spent a large portion of those years with different classes, workshops, books, seminars, and programs designed for entrepreneurs. It’s all great information, especially since I was on a pretty steep learning curve. But I’ve reached the point now where those products are actually keeping me out of my life.

I realized that what I genuinely desire, and what the people who produce those products desire, are not the same thing. And I’ve been making myself wrong and feeling guilty for wanting what I truly want, and not wanting what they say I should want. Let me explain.

After six years of trying out a lot of different possibilities, I realized that my goal in life is not to be a worker/earner. If I had to give a name to my “reason for being”, I would say that I am a spiritual contemplative/mystic/writer/professional dreamer. So I like working about 10-12 hours a week, with lots of time left to create a nurturing home, take care of the errands of daily life, maintain my connections with other people, think, observe, process life, and create.

I like that the way I contribute to and help change the world is through working on myself, and transforming my connections to the people around me, one encounter at a time.

Unfortunately, even in the personal growth/New Thought community, that business model is never really presented as a viable option. It seems to me that whenever people are talking about things like The Secret, and The Law Of Attraction, and other principles of Deliberate Creation, the emphasis is always on BIGGER, and MORE. If the concept of “enough” is ever addressed, it only seems to be in the manner of finding a way to temporarily let what you have be “enough”, only so it can move you to a different place where you can finally get MORE. There doesn’t seem to be much work addressing the question of genuinely being satisfied and feeling like you have enough.

And that is where I started to feel disconnected from the popular concept of personal growth, because I could no longer ignore the fact that I am really satisfied with my life right now.

[Read more…] about My Declaration Of Independence (Which Turned Out To Be Quite Long)

Filed Under: The Naked Truth, Where Jenny Gets A Little Woo-Woo, Where Jenny Talks About Her Feelings Tagged With: this is what i want

The Word Of The Lord

February 13, 2008 By Jenny Ryan 3 Comments

Since January 1st of this year, Marianne Williamson has appeared on Oprah and Friends radio each afternoon at 3 pm to teach A Course In Miracles. I first went through the Course about 5 years ago, and I thought it would be a really neat experience to go through it again under the guidance of Marianne Williamson, whose work I really admire.

I’ve been doing the daily exercises, as well as practicing applying the principles to my everyday life. Yesterday was a hard day, because I was dealing with a lot of health challenges-AGAIN-and it was making my arthritis flare up-AGAIN.

So I prayed, “Dear God, please help me. I need a miracle.” Then I got really quiet and listened.

I felt guidance and support come in, and I could tell that it was God because it was loving, kind, and gently amused with me.

“Dude,” it said, “take some pain medicine.”

Oh…right.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Filed Under: Grin And Bear It, It's Hard To Be Funny When Dealing With Chronic Pain, Sometimes I Get Sick, Where Jenny Talks About Her Feelings Tagged With: A Course In Miracles, asking for guidance, marianne williamson

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