posted from: http://www.menopausechicks.com/2017/01/learning-to-fly/

I’m learning to fly.
I’ve grown new wings.

Last New Year’s Eve, I laid in my bathtub, looked down at my body and I did something I had never done before: I thanked it. I thanked it for allowing me to have two amazing children. And I thanked it for carrying me this far on my journey. And fairly certain that I would reach menopause in 2016, I also promised it a PARTY.

I tell you this because 10 years ago, that scene looked very different. You see, things were starting to “change” for me. I did not know what was going on in my mind or in my body. So I would retreat to the bath tub to try and figure out how I was going to make it through the day. I suffered chronic sleep deprivation, debilitating brain fog and nobody had warned me about perimenopausal rage…but there were moments when I would literally come unglued without warning. I kept telling my husband, “I think I have dementia.”

This is how I opened my talk for TEDxGastown Women–a video I can’t wait to share with you as soon as it is available!

I wanted to share this TEDx opening with you today because… while it’s true…I did lay in the tub on December 31, 2015, look
down and promise my body a party…and I did make a list of things I
wanted to check off in 2016 (see sidebar)…there is no possible way I could have imagined exactly how this past year would unfold.

For example, last year at this time, I did not know:

Canadian rock star, Bif Naked, would show up at my “Menopause Graduation Party” in April and share her beautiful perspective on change…
My invitation for women to make “retreat a state of mind” and put their own name at the top of their to-do list would unfold into such a lovely girls getaway in Whistler…
70% of women felt as though they had no one to talk to about perimenopause [via a survey that led to the birth of the Menopause Chicks private online community…currently with 2,100 members helping each other navigate midlife with confidence]…
I would be short-listed for TEDxGastown Women [a true bucket list item!], make Catherine Roscoe Barr’s list of Top 3 Takeaways, meet so many incredible women in the process, and be surrounded with so much love and friendship on a single day…
I would be invited to challenge my skills at PechaKucha New Westminster [20 slides/20 seconds per slide = FUN! You can watch it here.]
How kind the universe was going to be when I announced that proceeds from my recent e-book MOKITA: the truth about perimenopause will go towards MenoCAUSE. MenoCAUSE is a new fund–inspired by the women in the Menopause Chicks private online community– to support midlife women who are trying to navigate perimenopause, yet challenged by how expensive it can be to get the right care….

These phenomenal experiences got me thinking last night. 2016 did feel like the year I got a new pair of wings. And even though I didn’t always know where they would take me…just knowing I could fly whenever I wanted (or needed) to…that’s all that’s required. So list making and planning is good. But it’s also good to leave space for what shows up.
Which brings me to 2017 and a new check list:
Yes, 2017 has a check list. And at the top of that list is YOU.

As a Menopause Chick, I value your loyalty and I want you to know how grateful I am that you are part of this community. When you take charge of your own health and then share your story with other women, it creates a “butterfly effect”–countless other women’s lives are changed for the better.
And that is my mission: to help women become their own best health advocates; to create platforms that connect women to the best health information, to the best healthcare professionals, and to each other–so that we all can navigate perimenopause and menopause with confidence and ease.
I would love it if you would take just 3 minutes and answer this survey. You have an important role to play in the future of Menopause Chicks!

Thank you in advance. Together, we have an amazing year ahead!

Wishing you the happiest & healthiest 2017,

Shirley xo

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