Posts by Fibromyalgia Support Network

by Irene Roth/Blog Editor

Living with fibromyalgia means living with limitations—but it does not mean living without power.

That distinction is important.

Our culture often tells us that power comes from achievement, productivity, physical strength, or the ability to keep pushing forward no matter the cost. When chronic illness changes what we can do, it is easy to believe that we have somehow become less powerful.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Real power begins with knowing yourself. It is found in understanding your body’s rhythms, recognizing your limits, and making decisions that reflect your values instead of someone else’s expectations. While fibromyalgia may place limits on your energy, it cannot diminish your character, your wisdom, or your capacity to live with purpose.

Standing in your power means refusing to let your diagnosis define your identity.

Yes, fibromyalgia affects your daily life. It may influence how you work, socialize, travel, or spend your time. But it is only one part of your story. You are still the person who loves deeply, thinks creatively, laughs wholeheartedly, and dreams about the future.

You are so much more than your symptoms.

Living with limitations also teaches discernment. You become intentional about where you invest your precious energy. Instead of trying to do everything, you begin choosing what truly matters. You may say no more often, not because you are giving up, but because you are protecting your health and making space for what brings meaning and joy.

There is tremendous strength in that choice.

Standing in your power also means releasing the need to prove yourself. You do not have to justify why you need to rest. You do not have to apologize for cancelling plans during a flare. You do not have to earn compassion by pushing yourself beyond your limits.

Your experience is real, even if others cannot see it.

One of the greatest lessons fibromyalgia can teach is that worth is not measured by productivity. Some days your greatest accomplishment may simply be getting out of bed, preparing a meal, or taking a shower. Those victories count. They reflect perseverance, resilience, and determination in ways that many people will never fully understand.

Power also grows through self-compassion. Rather than criticizing yourself for what you cannot do, you begin celebrating what you can. You notice the small victories: completing a short walk, sharing a meaningful conversation, creating something beautiful, or finding moments of peace despite the pain.

These moments remind you that life is still rich with possibility.

Standing in your power is not about pretending that fibromyalgia is easy. It is about facing each day with honesty and courage. It is about adapting rather than surrendering. It is about believing that a meaningful life can still be built, even when the path looks different than you once imagined.

Your limitations may shape how you live, but they do not determine your value.

Every time you honour your body’s needs, establish healthy boundaries, ask for support, or choose rest without guilt, you are exercising your power. Every time you refuse to measure yourself by impossible standards, you reclaim another piece of yourself.

Your strength does not come from having no limitations.

It comes from continuing to live with hope, grace, and authenticity despite them.

That is a quiet kind of power—and perhaps the most enduring kind of all.

by Irene Roth/Blog Editor

What if confidence isn’t something you wait to feel—but something you build by taking action?

That is the central premise of Big Freakin’ Change: How to Gain Confidence by Stepping Out Before You Are Ready, an encouraging and practical self-help guide by entrepreneur, speaker, and coach Cara Moeller Poppitt. Drawing on years of experience coaching thousands of women, Poppitt argues that the biggest obstacle to change is not a lack of ability but the mistaken belief that we must feel fully prepared before we begin. Instead, she suggests that confidence grows through action rather than preceding it.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its accessibility. Poppitt writes in a conversational, encouraging style that feels more like an uplifting coaching session than a traditional self-help manual. Rather than overwhelming readers with psychological theory, she offers practical exercises, reflective questions, affirmations, and step-by-step strategies designed to help readers move beyond fear, perfectionism, and self-doubt. Her “Get Unstuck Cycle of Change” provides a clear framework for recognizing limiting beliefs, developing courage, and taking meaningful action.

Throughout the book, personal stories and examples from clients illustrate the emotional challenges that often accompany major life transitions. Whether the goal is changing careers, starting a business, improving relationships, or pursuing long-postponed dreams, these real-life examples remind readers that uncertainty is a normal part of growth. The author’s optimism is infectious, encouraging readers to see setbacks as opportunities for learning rather than evidence of failure.

One particularly valuable message is the book’s challenge to perfectionism. Many people postpone meaningful changes while waiting for the “right time,” believing they need more knowledge, experience, or confidence before acting. Poppitt effectively dismantles this belief by demonstrating that readiness is often created through movement itself. This perspective is both empowering and liberating for readers who feel trapped by indecision.

The book will particularly resonate with women navigating career changes, personal reinvention, or life transitions. Poppitt recognizes the unique pressures many women face, including self-doubt, fear of judgment, and the tendency to place others’ needs before their own. Her compassionate tone validates these experiences while encouraging readers to reclaim their own ambitions and trust their abilities.

At times, however, the book leans heavily on familiar motivational concepts. Readers well-versed in personal development literature may recognize recurring themes such as embracing fear, adopting a growth mindset, and replacing limiting beliefs with empowering ones. Some affirmations and mindset shifts can occasionally feel overly simplistic for individuals facing complex life circumstances. Critics have also noted that the book’s consistently upbeat tone may not fully acknowledge the structural or personal barriers that can complicate significant change.

Despite these limitations, Big Freakin’ Change succeeds because of its warmth, practicality, and genuine encouragement. Rather than promising overnight transformation, it reminds readers that courage develops gradually, one decision at a time. Poppitt’s message is both hopeful and actionable: waiting to feel ready often keeps us stuck, while taking imperfect action builds the very confidence we seek.

For readers looking for a supportive guide to overcoming fear and embracing life’s next chapter, this book offers both inspiration and practical direction. It serves as a timely reminder that meaningful change rarely begins with certainty—it begins with the willingness to take the first step.

Living with fibromyalgia often requires ongoing adaptation. Symptoms can change from day to day, making it necessary to continually adjust routines, expectations, and goals. Big Freakin’ Change encourages readers to move forward despite uncertainty—a message that resonates deeply with fibromates. While chronic pain may make large changes feel overwhelming, the book emphasizes taking small, manageable steps rather than waiting for the “perfect” moment. Its focus on overcoming self-doubt, releasing perfectionism, and building confidence through action aligns well with the realities of living with a chronic illness. For fibromates learning to redesign their lives around fluctuating energy and changing abilities, this book offers gentle encouragement to embrace growth, resilience, and possibility, one small step at a time.

By Irene Roth/Blog Editor

For many people living with fibromyalgia, asking for help can feel surprisingly difficult. We may worry that others will see us as weak, incapable, or dependent. We may even fear that needing support somehow changes who we are.

But asking for help does not mean losing yourself. In many ways, it is one of the strongest expressions of self-awareness and self-respect.

Many of us spent years being the dependable one. We cared for our families, met deadlines, volunteered, supported friends, and kept going despite pain and exhaustion. Our identity became tied to what we could do for others. Then fibromyalgia arrived, quietly changing the rules.

Suddenly, carrying heavy groceries might trigger a flare. A simple afternoon of errands could require an entire day of recovery. Activities that once felt effortless now demand careful planning and pacing.

Accepting these changes is not easy.

Often, our first instinct is to push harder. We tell ourselves that we should be able to manage on our own. We compare ourselves to our past selves or to people who do not live with chronic pain. We continue saying yes when every part of us is asking for rest.

Eventually, though, our bodies remind us that they have limits.

Learning to ask for help is not about giving up your independence. It is about protecting it. Every time you allow someone to help with a task that drains your limited energy, you preserve that energy for the things that matter most—spending time with loved ones, enjoying a favourite hobby, taking a gentle walk, or simply making it through the day with less pain.

Help does not have to be dramatic. It might mean asking someone to pick up a prescription, carry laundry upstairs, prepare a meal, or drive you to an appointment. It may mean accepting an offer instead of automatically saying, “I’m fine.”

The truth is, most people appreciate having the opportunity to help someone they care about. We often extend compassion to others without hesitation, yet struggle to accept that same kindness ourselves. Imagine how you would respond if a friend with fibromyalgia asked you for assistance. You would likely help without judgment. You deserve that same grace.

It is also important to remember that asking for help does not erase your abilities. You are still intelligent, capable, creative, loving, and resilient. Your worth has never depended on how many tasks you complete in a day.

In fact, choosing when to ask for help requires wisdom. It means knowing your limits, respecting your body, and making thoughtful decisions that support your long-term well-being. That is not weakness—it is maturity.

Asking for help can also deepen relationships. It creates opportunities for connection, trust, and mutual care. Healthy relationships are not built on one person always giving and another always receiving. They thrive when support flows in both directions over time.

Perhaps the greatest lesson fibromyalgia teaches is that we were never meant to carry every burden alone.

You do not lose yourself when you accept a helping hand. Instead, you make room for the person you truly are—someone who values balance, honours their body’s wisdom, and understands that strength is not measured by how much you carry alone, but by how courageously you choose to care for yourself.