14:09 Your form of quiet activism as a queer disabled person-where you make space to just be yourself and model growth, protection, and cultivation of self even as the world spins faster than you can handle-has been meaningful to me in ways that loud activism has never been able to reach. What can activism be like when I can’t join in the rat race? What if I don’t want to or can’t participate in ways society has told me is vital to being an activist? You have shown me there are many ways to share knowledge and educate people on important issues without needing to do it the conventional way, and I thank you deeply for that. Even if you may feel that you need to do activism in the way others are doing it because they do a great job, I hope you can recognize that you are doing a great job in your own way and that makes an impact too.
Living with the seasons is a big part of my witchcraft practice and hibernating and taking time to look back and process is so important. Taking some time for that every year has been life changing for me. I'm so glad you are staring to figure out love with chronic illness xx
Sending you so much love as always, dear brother. The concept of wintering really resonates with me too and I started going through a similar experience when we moved from the Midlands to the NE - learning the rhythms of my body and my own chronic illness is a continual process but it is so rewarding as it does bring a huge sense of peace. Being aware of personal boundaries and saying 'no' when you need to is a continual struggle for me but I'm so glad to hear you're learning more about yourself. You are an amazing man xx
Thank you so much 😊. This Ill health has been such a teacher! It's a difficult life but I still find myself very grateful for the things I have learned and am still learning. Finding out about wintering is going to bring some interesting new things into 2025! Sending you so much love!
This is so much what I have been working on in my meditation. Just letting go of every concept I've had about myself and life and just being with my own presence and feeling what I actually need from there. It's surprising me how much of my life I've spent exhausting myself and making myself miserable trying to meet everyone else's expectations and making them my own when I actually really need so little to be happy and healthy. Bless you sweetheart for sharing your journey with all of us. Your authenticity is such a breath of fresh air. I love it!
Bless you! Yes, this has been a real journey of discovery on just how much of my precious energy I pour into people pleasing, doing things for others, trying to keep people happy, doing things I think I "should" and this illness has forced me to confront all that and I'm actually very grateful for that! It was all so much unconscious and needed to be made conscious. These last 14 years of my life since getting sober have been about authentic living, stripping back the layers to who I really am and how I really want to live and I've definitely hit another layer!! I look forward to sharing this new phase in the journey with you. Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and kindness
Bless you. I highly recommend the book. Especially the audio book it is so beautifully narrated! Next year I'm fully embracing this wintering concept and owning it. For as long as my body and mind needs it. Much love to you
Finn always has a way to help you see the brighter side of life, does he not? I love his inspirational messages. Sometimes God makes us walk on hard paths to develop a special level of empathy. We don't see it at the time, but eventually all falls into place.
This sounds a lot like what I've been doing for years now. I was just past the toughest part of early transition when the pandemic hit, and since then, a lot more crazy stuff happened, for better and for worse. I thought I'm just depressed as usual, which also has been true some of the time, but really, I feel like my isolation and concentrating only on things I know I can manage or will feed my soul enough to be worth the energy drain has been partially voluntary. It feels more like self-preservation than only procrastinating. Had I tried tob push myself to do more, I'm certain I would have found it beyond my capability. Living a simple, quiet life has really helped to grow as a person and bring the focus back to what's vital, if that makes sense.
You're right - you are an excellent speaker and, yet again, you have put into words exactly how I'm feeling about my own chronic illness 'journey'. Thank you so much for every video you share on this subject. It means so much to hear someone else verbalise how it feels to live in this weird 'mesh' world, out of step with the one everyone else inhabits. Wishing you, Chris and Pip a quiet, relaxing time over Christmas and New Year. ❤
Yes ts one of those hat I had never heard but now that I have, I definitely recognise it and will be embracing and working with it! Happy holidays to you too my friend!
Oh this made me so emotional. I guess this is what I’ve needed to do too. So bloody proud of you darling for your approach to this year. Im going to be ordering another book then 😆xx
Thanks lovely. Its taken a lot of work, and there is still a lot of hard work I need to do. But, finding this term has helped me to make sense of some things and helped me to realise that I now need to settle even deeper into this wintering phase rather than working to come out of it. I will defrost when I am ready!
Merry Christmas to you and Chris, dearest Finn! Thank you for your uplifting messages. May God bless you always. I love you to pieces, Finn. You are a tool in God's hands.
Thank you again, Finn, for this incredibly thoughtful video. I related so much to your words about falling through the gaps in the mesh and about the pain of losing the work I was so good at and loved so much. That book has been on my TBR list for a while, but it’s so much deeper than I realized. I’ll have to download the audiobook. I’m here for your videos no matter how often you post them. Happy holidays to you, Christopher, and Pip.
Hello Finn! Great to see you on my screen again 🥰 I send you loads of subscriber hugs of support and understanding 🤗 Happy Holidays to you, Chris, and Pip! This makes complete sense to me, being I've had long covid all year on top of chronic health issues as well, and then got some sort of flu on top of all that 😱Lately I've been working on finding my foundations of who I am and starting from the bottom up. (The foundations pyramid exercise) I am working on finding my new boundaries and values; it's really hard work, but it will be worth the effort! Lets hope "spring" in our lives will be a wonderful one, new understanding of ourselves and feeling a bit stronger overall. I'm not wanting to be a body builder, but I'd love to be able to do the dishes without mental and physical issues. 🫣 I did my updated treatment plan, and I included fun time AS self care in with my goals for this coming year 👍 I'll be here whenever you're here, I love this gift of your video! Go get some rest and much love from northern Minnesota! ☃
Merry Christmas Finn from Torquay. Amazing blog. Hit me in the ❤ too. Visible band is great isn't it? Preston is so beautiful, but I'm not able to get out much atm as my ME is dippy however the xmas spirit is still there 😊 u are an inspiration
Thank you so very much for such a kind comment. Hello from around the corner! We are absolutely loving it here. All over Christmas, as we have been wandering up and down the seafront in Preston, Paignton, and Torquay, I keep saying to Chris, this move has been the best decision we have made in a long time. The ease of going places is just bliss. Im sorry you are in the dippy stage, I am too, I should be staying in more! Ive been doing a little too much since the move, just because Ive got more options! Though we have rested a lot over Christmas, except for a few little strolls along the front. Its easier with Chris with me, uses far less battery! Im glad you still have the Christmas sprit though! we have to still find little ways don't we? find our own 'joy niche' as I'm starting to discover! Now Im less frustrated with the slowness, Im more able to find it (not always, sometimes im still grumpy about it and that's ok too!) Thank you also for signing up as a Friend of Finn supporter, that means the world! xxx
What do you think about making recorded speeches when you feel like them and then have them offered as a paid service for folks who would like to hear them as a personal collection of your life and relatable struggles.
Wintering..... I havent heard that term before. It's kinda odd because that's similar to one of the symptoms of depression, like, lack of interest in things that previously made you happy, staying home and hiding away. So many overlapping things. But its also a lot of neurodivergent behaviours as well. That's an interesting reflection on what you would do if you completely recovered? Yes, cos now you're a fiancée and dog daddy. Things are different. Would/could you be ordinary instead of extraordinary?? 😉😊🏳⚧🏳🌈♥
It's been long since I read it. It doesn't mention wintering but people that are literally invisible by the ordinary ones. Maybe people that has fallen through the mesh. I remember that I liked it a lot when I was younger! I'll have to read it again.
14:09 Your form of quiet activism as a queer disabled person-where you make space to just be yourself and model growth, protection, and cultivation of self even as the world spins faster than you can handle-has been meaningful to me in ways that loud activism has never been able to reach.
What can activism be like when I can’t join in the rat race? What if I don’t want to or can’t participate in ways society has told me is vital to being an activist? You have shown me there are many ways to share knowledge and educate people on important issues without needing to do it the conventional way, and I thank you deeply for that. Even if you may feel that you need to do activism in the way others are doing it because they do a great job, I hope you can recognize that you are doing a great job in your own way and that makes an impact too.
Living with the seasons is a big part of my witchcraft practice and hibernating and taking time to look back and process is so important. Taking some time for that every year has been life changing for me. I'm so glad you are staring to figure out love with chronic illness xx
Also just existing is enough! You are a happy man in a lovely healthy relationship that is the best activism it's powerful mate xx
Finn you are wonderful. Wish there was more of you in this world 🌎 ❤
What an absolutely lovely thing to say! Reading this has made my morning, thank you!
@FinnTheInfinncible it's true. Happy 2025 to you and family. ❤️
Sending you so much love as always, dear brother. The concept of wintering really resonates with me too and I started going through a similar experience when we moved from the Midlands to the NE - learning the rhythms of my body and my own chronic illness is a continual process but it is so rewarding as it does bring a huge sense of peace. Being aware of personal boundaries and saying 'no' when you need to is a continual struggle for me but I'm so glad to hear you're learning more about yourself. You are an amazing man xx
Thank you so much 😊. This Ill health has been such a teacher! It's a difficult life but I still find myself very grateful for the things I have learned and am still learning. Finding out about wintering is going to bring some interesting new things into 2025!
Sending you so much love!
This is so much what I have been working on in my meditation. Just letting go of every concept I've had about myself and life and just being with my own presence and feeling what I actually need from there. It's surprising me how much of my life I've spent exhausting myself and making myself miserable trying to meet everyone else's expectations and making them my own when I actually really need so little to be happy and healthy.
Bless you sweetheart for sharing your journey with all of us. Your authenticity is such a breath of fresh air. I love it!
Bless you! Yes, this has been a real journey of discovery on just how much of my precious energy I pour into people pleasing, doing things for others, trying to keep people happy, doing things I think I "should" and this illness has forced me to confront all that and I'm actually very grateful for that! It was all so much unconscious and needed to be made conscious.
These last 14 years of my life since getting sober have been about authentic living, stripping back the layers to who I really am and how I really want to live and I've definitely hit another layer!!
I look forward to sharing this new phase in the journey with you.
Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and kindness
Love this, thanks for sharing especially during the festive period
Thanks for watching!
And it is very true that you have done great work here on UA-cam for so many people in the community and even outside of the community!!
Thank you my dear friend. That means a great deal to me!
Well said Finn! And once again you've helped me figure out how to deal with what life has thrown at me at this point in life, thank you x
Bless you. I highly recommend the book. Especially the audio book it is so beautifully narrated!
Next year I'm fully embracing this wintering concept and owning it. For as long as my body and mind needs it.
Much love to you
Finn always has a way to help you see the brighter side of life, does he not? I love his inspirational messages. Sometimes God makes us walk on hard paths to develop a special level of empathy. We don't see it at the time, but eventually all falls into place.
This sounds a lot like what I've been doing for years now. I was just past the toughest part of early transition when the pandemic hit, and since then, a lot more crazy stuff happened, for better and for worse.
I thought I'm just depressed as usual, which also has been true some of the time, but really, I feel like my isolation and concentrating only on things I know I can manage or will feed my soul enough to be worth the energy drain has been partially voluntary.
It feels more like self-preservation than only procrastinating. Had I tried tob push myself to do more, I'm certain I would have found it beyond my capability. Living a simple, quiet life has really helped to grow as a person and bring the focus back to what's vital, if that makes sense.
Merry Xmas to you all xxx
Love you Finn
You're right - you are an excellent speaker and, yet again, you have put into words exactly how I'm feeling about my own chronic illness 'journey'. Thank you so much for every video you share on this subject. It means so much to hear someone else verbalise how it feels to live in this weird 'mesh' world, out of step with the one everyone else inhabits. Wishing you, Chris and Pip a quiet, relaxing time over Christmas and New Year. ❤
Thanks for sharing your insight in Wintering. I’d never heard the term but I’ve definitely experienced it. Happy Holidays Finn to you and your fam ❄️
Yes ts one of those hat I had never heard but now that I have, I definitely recognise it and will be embracing and working with it! Happy holidays to you too my friend!
Oh this made me so emotional. I guess this is what I’ve needed to do too. So bloody proud of you darling for your approach to this year. Im going to be ordering another book then 😆xx
Thanks lovely. Its taken a lot of work, and there is still a lot of hard work I need to do. But, finding this term has helped me to make sense of some things and helped me to realise that I now need to settle even deeper into this wintering phase rather than working to come out of it. I will defrost when I am ready!
Merry Christmas to you and Chris, dearest Finn! Thank you for your uplifting messages. May God bless you always. I love you to pieces, Finn. You are a tool in God's hands.
That's such a kind thing to say. Have a very happy holidays xx
Thank you again, Finn, for this incredibly thoughtful video. I related so much to your words about falling through the gaps in the mesh and about the pain of losing the work I was so good at and loved so much. That book has been on my TBR list for a while, but it’s so much deeper than I realized. I’ll have to download the audiobook.
I’m here for your videos no matter how often you post them. Happy holidays to you, Christopher, and Pip.
I relate to this so much. Especially the work stuff. I feel the same. Thanks for your kind words and advice 🙏🏻
Bless you, thank you for your kind comment
Hello Finn! Great to see you on my screen again 🥰 I send you loads of subscriber hugs of support and understanding 🤗
Happy Holidays to you, Chris, and Pip!
This makes complete sense to me, being I've had long covid all year on top of chronic health issues as well, and then got some sort of flu on top of all that 😱Lately I've been working on finding my foundations of who I am and starting from the bottom up. (The foundations pyramid exercise) I am working on finding my new boundaries and values; it's really hard work, but it will be worth the effort!
Lets hope "spring" in our lives will be a wonderful one, new understanding of ourselves and feeling a bit stronger overall. I'm not wanting to be a body builder, but I'd love to be able to do the dishes without mental and physical issues. 🫣
I did my updated treatment plan, and I included fun time AS self care in with my goals for this coming year 👍
I'll be here whenever you're here, I love this gift of your video! Go get some rest and much love from northern Minnesota! ☃
Safe n happier festive season for all!
Wintering oh I get this . How can I connect
I just ordered the book 😊
Oh awesome! Let me know what you think of t!
Merry Christmas Finn from Torquay. Amazing blog. Hit me in the ❤ too. Visible band is great isn't it? Preston is so beautiful, but I'm not able to get out much atm as my ME is dippy however the xmas spirit is still there 😊 u are an inspiration
Thank you so very much for such a kind comment. Hello from around the corner! We are absolutely loving it here. All over Christmas, as we have been wandering up and down the seafront in Preston, Paignton, and Torquay, I keep saying to Chris, this move has been the best decision we have made in a long time. The ease of going places is just bliss.
Im sorry you are in the dippy stage, I am too, I should be staying in more! Ive been doing a little too much since the move, just because Ive got more options! Though we have rested a lot over Christmas, except for a few little strolls along the front. Its easier with Chris with me, uses far less battery!
Im glad you still have the Christmas sprit though! we have to still find little ways don't we? find our own 'joy niche' as I'm starting to discover! Now Im less frustrated with the slowness, Im more able to find it (not always, sometimes im still grumpy about it and that's ok too!)
Thank you also for signing up as a Friend of Finn supporter, that means the world! xxx
What do you think about making recorded speeches when you feel like them and then have them offered as a paid service for folks who would like to hear them as a personal collection of your life and relatable struggles.
It's a really good idea and something I have thought about doing!
Happy New Year finn& chris I hope 2025 is a happy prosperous better healthy one for you 😅🎉❤🌈🥳🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊☮️🎇🎇🎆🎆
Wintering..... I havent heard that term before. It's kinda odd because that's similar to one of the symptoms of depression, like, lack of interest in things that previously made you happy, staying home and hiding away. So many overlapping things. But its also a lot of neurodivergent behaviours as well.
That's an interesting reflection on what you would do if you completely recovered? Yes, cos now you're a fiancée and dog daddy. Things are different.
Would/could you be ordinary instead of extraordinary?? 😉😊🏳⚧🏳🌈♥
I come to think about the fantasy book Neverwhere by Neil Gayman.
Oh does that mention this? I keep meaning to read that book!
It's been long since I read it. It doesn't mention wintering but people that are literally invisible by the ordinary ones. Maybe people that has fallen through the mesh. I remember that I liked it a lot when I was younger! I'll have to read it again.