Lately, it feels like we can’t go a day without hearing about another loss. The recent passing of D’Angelo, Diane Keaton, and Jane Goodall hit especially hard — artists and changemakers who helped shape how we see the world. It’s a sobering reminder of how precious and fleeting life is.

And still, we choose joy. Not to ignore the grief, but to honor life. To laugh when we can. To rest when we need. To wear the outfit. Take the nap. Dance to the song. These small acts of joy are our rebellion, our resistance, our way forward.

We just wrapped Hispanic Heritage Month and now step into UK Black History Month, both a celebration and a call to keep showing up for each other. That’s why I’m so thrilled to feature this month’s Thank God I’m Poppin’ Spotlight: Roxy Murray, the UK’s own MS advocate, writer, and all-around powerhouse. We finally met IRL at ECTRIMS in Barcelona, and her energy? Unmatched.

The world feels heavy, yes. But we’re still here. Still making a concerted effort to connect, to breathe, to smile. Even if just for a moment.

Becoming Delulu: My Rewrite in Real Time

It’s about making space for the impossible. It’s choosing to believe in deeper dreams, reshape identity, and act with faith when logic would doubt you.

For me, being delulu meant drafting a vision for who I want to be. Not as a someday fantasy, but as a work in progress I can inch toward each day. It meant whispering permissions to myself: “You don’t have to wait for perfect timing to begin your expansion.”

Because I leaned into delulu, doors have started to crack open (yes, even with chronic illness):

• Conversations turned into offers. The philanthropic arm of a company I previously worked for reached out. I stepped in and accepted the offer to build their weekly newsletter from the ground up before I felt “ready.” Or felt like I had time. There’s never any time. (*cues Jessie Spano meltdown)

• Identity is catching up. I find myself narrating my life differently: not “surviving today,” but “sculpting the next phase.”

• Momentum stirs in my body. When mental shifts occur, the body, in its own imperfect way, seems to respond. My pep is quiet, but it’s there.

• Rewrites are already underway. Things I once believed were “just how it is,” I’m questioning them. I’m asking, “What if there’s another choice?”

These aren’t major leaps. But they are evidence. Evidence that when you name your fierce desire, the universe begins matching you.

In chronic illness spaces, many messages are about coping, endurance, acceptance, or grief. These are necessary. But what we rarely hear is: “You can become someone different — even now — and pursue audacious dreams.”

Fun fact, my Word of the Year is audacious. This delulu life causes me to step into that brazen audacity that I knew I was capable of. That shift doesn’t deny your pain or your constraints. It expands your mental field. It tells your nervous system: I am still a creative agent in my own life. I still get to author, imagine, design.

Actionable Moves for a Delulu Rewrite for the Chronically Chill

1. Craft a future persona sketch. Who are you becoming? Not in vague terms, but in details (voice, lifestyle, work, relationships)? Write it like a short “About me” from the future.

2. Speak as if. Choose three sentences you’ll say as if you already are that person (e.g., “I am a creative leader,” or “People trust my vision”) and repeat them daily, even on foggy brain days.

3. Take micro-delulu actions. Pick ultra-small acts (send an email, pitch a microproject, record a video) that feel slightly over your usual boundary. Do one a week.

4. Maintain a “proof file.” Save every tiny sign: a DM that said “yes,” a meeting scheduled, a client comment. This becomes the internal fuel when self-doubt strikes.

5. Audit your boundaries. Ask: Which parts of “who I’ve been” are holding me back? Where do I keep “settling” because of spoon deficits? Begin canceling internal rules that aren’t serving your new direction.

6. Reset with rest built in. Leaning into delulu doesn’t mean overdrive. Build recovery strategies (naps, pacing, transitions) into your plan so you don’t burn out chasing dreams.

7. Share your small shifts. Post or journal about two delulu moves you made that week. Don’t focus on big results. Witnessing your own courage reinforces the new story.

You’re allowed to want more, and to rewrite, reclaim, and resurrect ideas of yourself that have gone dormant over time. Chronic illness doesn’t have to silence your voice. Instead, it invites you to reimagine it with new nuance.

Let this season be your delulu season, where you stop waiting for “good enough” and start acting on your own instinct to stretch, grow, and create.

Meet Roxy Murray

@multiplesclerosisfashionista
www.themultiplesclerosisfashionista.com
London, UK

Give us the highlights — who you are, what you’re into, and how does your disability fit into your story?

Hey, I’m Roxy Murray, a proud, disabled, queer woman who’s all about shaking up how we see disability, beauty, and desire. I wear a few hats: fashion stylist, digital content producer, and patient advocate all tied together by a love of storytelling and representation.

I live with multiple sclerosis, which has completely changed how I move through the world. At first, it was tough, I had to learn how to embrace a whole new version of myself. But it’s also become the source of my creativity, resilience, and drive to make space for real, unfiltered stories about chronic illness.

Now, I use my voice and my platforms to talk about everything from dating with a disability to finding joy in a body that doesn’t always cooperate. My work’s been featured by places like the Wellcome Collection, and I spend a lot of time pushing for better representation of disabled people, especially those of us who are queer and people of colour.

For me, chronic illness isn’t something to hide or sugarcoat. It’s part of my story but it’s not all I am.

I’m here to show people that you can live with MS and still be stylish, bold, sexy, and powerful.

How does your disability manifest? What are your main symptoms?

I have something called multiple sclerosis, or MS for short. It’s a condition where my body gets a little confused and starts attacking my nerves, the parts that help my brain talk to the rest of me. It’s like when the wires in a video game controller get tangled, and the buttons don’t always do what they’re supposed to.

Because of that, my body sometimes acts in ways I don’t expect. I can get really tired even after doing small things, my legs might feel wobbly, or my hands might tingle or go numb. Some days I feel strong and full of energy, and other days I need extra naps, quiet, or help moving around.

MS also makes me extra sensitive to heat, so hot weather can make my symptoms worse, kind of like how a phone slows down when it overheats.

Even though my body doesn’t always cooperate, I’ve learned to listen to it and work with what it needs. I rest when I have to and find new ways to do the things I love.

What’s your wellness mantra?

Do it with love!

What’s a small victory you’ve celebrated recently, and how did it make you feel?

I was awarded a honorary doctorate from my university that made me feel seen and heard .

What’s the most unexpected lesson your chronic illness/disability has taught you?

That you can achieve anything you want in life even when you are not dealt the cards you expect. That kindness if non-negotiable.

What’s your “daily non-negotiable” for staying in tune with your health and happiness?

Quiet time and reflection.

What makes you poppin’?

My style and love of horror movies!

🛍️ Product of the Month: Your Favorite Inspiration Hoodie

This Your Favorite Inspiration Hoodie is cute and all, but it speaks to everyday life as a chronically ill and disabled person. Real talk: That whole “you’re such an inspiration” line is tired. This hoodie flips it. It’s cozy with some weight and a little swagger, so you feel like your whole self — not a feel-good sound bite. The front says, “Your favorite inspiration just pulled up.” The back says, “Inspired by me.” If it’s speaking to you, grab one and let the world know the muse just arrived.

📚 Relevant Reads: October 2025

🎥 Currently Watching

📅 October 2025 Calendar

• 🧠 ADHD Awareness Month

• 🐶 Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

• 💗 Breast Cancer Awareness Month

• 🎗️ Critical Illness Awareness Month

• 🥄 Dysautonomia Awareness Month

• ⚕️ Health Literacy Month

• 🍕 National Pizza Month

• 💪 Physical Therapy Month

• ✊🏾 UK Black History Month

• 👫 16: International Pronouns Day

• 📖 16: National Dictionary Day

• 🖤 17: Black Poetry Day

• 🏞️ 18: Adventure Day

• 💌 18: Sweetest Day

• ⏸️ 18: World Menopause Day

• 🤔 19: Evaluate Your Life Day

• 🪔 20: Diwali

• 🛹 21: Back To The Future Day

• 🤓 22: Smart Is Cool Day

• 🍾 24: Global Champagne Day

• ⏰ 24: Take Back Your Time Day

• 🫂 25: National I Care About You Day

• 🌕 26: Howl At The Moon Day

• 🍫 28: National Chocolate Day

• 🎃 31: Halloween

• 🪄 31: National Magic Day

💌 Friendly Reminder

✨ The ChILLness Chronicles is a cozy corner of the internet, created with love for the chronically chill and their cherished ones. Every post is a gentle reminder that life doesn’t stop with a diagnosis — you can still create, dream, and thrive on your own terms. And, of course, community makes the journey lighter. If this space speaks to you, consider subscribing to receive new posts and support this work — then share this edition with a friend who could use a little extra ChILL in their life. 💛