As I continue my healing journey, I realise that nurturing consistency and willpower are our best personal strengths. Of course, self-discipline is in the mix, but I find that if we liken these self-developmental tools to climbing a ladder; that learning a sense of consistency is an easier rung to reach. We accrue self-discipline, along the way, and because we have befriended consistency and willpower, it develops organically.

I have mentioned before, that to avoid surgery and keep me mobile, I need to remain slim, and exercise regularly – within the restraints of the cerebral palsy. It is a painful disability, so when I first undertook exercise, and essential stretching; I had to be mindful that I couldn’t start from ground zero, and to expect Olympian results, then or ever- frankly. I needed to work within the Emma frame, and forget about making unhelpful comparisons to anyone but me. I had to focus on consistency, little and often, and as I still do today. Underpinning this mindset, now five years on, I am naturally blessed to remember the importance of gratitude. Many people with cerebral palsy cannot walk, and since I remember learning how to talk and walk, aged three: I have always, and daily counted my blessings.

To bolster and grow my need for consistency, I delved into my eureka moment, recalling how I felt when I eventually became mobile. My mother was not a nurturing, nor kind person, therefore it was largely my own grown sense of willpower that served me well as a toddler. I rehydrated my drive that I had then, and have kept it in my toolkit ever since.

I believe that we all have times in our lives, however far back we reflect in our personal history, whereby we can cherry-pick helpful attributes that we can reuse. We are not robots, yet we can to some degree emulate machines – purely to remind ourselves that consistency, a little achievement, growing to accruing units, are beneficial when we do them regularly and indeed being consistent boosts our willpower.

I hope you find this helpful.

SUNNY wishes,

Emma x