What I Want More of This Year Living with MS

This year feels different.
Not because I’m chasing bigger goals.
But because I’m asking a gentler question:

What do I actually want more of in my life?

Not what looks impressive.
Not what I “should” want.
But what truly supports me — body, mind, and heart.

It hit me recently:
I’ve now lived more years with MS than without it.
Somewhere along the way, MS stopped being “the interruption” and became part of the landscape of my life.

And yet, here I am — 50 years old.
An age I once couldn’t even imagine reaching, let alone reaching in such good health.

When I look back, there’s so much I’ve done:
I’ve run races.
Improved my swimming.
Traveled often.
Gone to concerts whenever I could — because music has always been my heartbeat.

From the outside, it might look like I should be proud… maybe even rest now.
But no.
As I like to say:
“It ain’t over until I say it’s over.”

Still, this year feels different.
It’s not about doing more.
It’s about being more intentional.

After everything — the diagnosis, the adaptations, the resilience — I find myself craving simplicity.
Presence.
Joy that doesn’t require proving anything.

Here’s what I want more of:

• Less worry about the future.

  
  MS has a way of pulling you into the “what ifs.” I want to gently bring myself back to now — to what’s still here, still possible, still good.

• More pampering, less pushing.

  
  For years, self-care meant discipline and structure. Now, I’m learning that softness matters too. Rest. Pleasure. Doing things simply because they feel good.

• Connection with my son.

  
  He’s a teenager now, and our relationship is evolving. I want to show him resilience without pretending everything is easy.

• Less stress about meaningless details.

  
  The unanswered emails, the small delays — they won’t matter in a year.

• Less guilt when I put myself first.

  
  Because my well-being isn’t selfish. It’s essential.

• More learning.

  
  A new skill, a new perspective. MS taught me this: there’s no age limit on growth, and no real limit to what our minds can still do.

If you’re reading this and nodding along, maybe this is your moment too.
Maybe instead of asking:
“What do I want to achieve this year?”
You could ask:

• What do I want more of in my life?

• What feels nourishing instead of draining?

• What deserves space — and what can I let go of?

This isn’t about lowering expectations.
It’s about grounding them in reality — your reality.

That’s what I mean when I talk about finding your baseline with MS.
Understanding where you are right now — your energy, your patterns, your needs — gives you something solid to build from.
From there, intentions become clearer. Kinder. More sustainable.

And that’s the heart of MS Clarity: Finding Your Way with MS.
Not a push to become someone else.
But an invitation to move forward from where you truly are.

Vanessa

Want more tips on living well with MS and beating fatigue?
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter and get practical strategies, mindset shifts, and real-life hacks delivered straight to your inbox.
Because thriving with MS isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what matters, with energy and confidence.

👉Leave your details below  and start getting your weekly boost today!