Every time I talk to
David, I'm reminded and impressed by his positive attitude. David, a former EMT, suffered a brainstem
stroke five or six years ago. He had to
relearn to walk and talk (the talking was more about processing, than how to
say words). He's now working part time at WalMart. He has moved past anger and
bitterness - he is so genuinely positive!
Now, in addition to his
part time job, David is involved as a volunteer, advocating for positive change. That's why he's part of the same group as me, that started the
vestibular petition (see the link below).
One more year, and this petition will hopefully go to the World Health
Organization. With as many signatures as
we can get.
Talking to him reminded
me that all of us with vestibular disorders - and maybe some other health
issues thrown in to make things more interesting - have a choice every day. I
can choose to focus on all of my challenges, my frustrations etc. Or I can choose to focus on what is good in
my life.
Here's a picture of me
not smiling. Here's one of me smiling.
Looking at the two
pictures next to each other, I was really struck by the difference a smile
makes. Of course, it needs to be a real smile - the kind that uses your whole
face. We've all heard it "laughter is the best medicine," but smiles
can really make a difference as well.
Smiling is, I believe,
part of the choosing what to focus on thing. But there are days when smiling
really doesn't feel so natural. Then it takes a conscious choice. Until I get
good at this choosing thing - and maybe even after I'm good at it - I have to
make that conscious choice. Because there WILL always be challenges and
frustrations. All of that, and the grief
over loss, will always be there to a degree.
So I have to choose,
every day, between focusing on all that mess, or finding something good. It's
not about blotting out the tough stuff, it's about moving past it, making that
choice to focus on the positive. It's going to take some practice for this to
feel authentic. I'm going to have to do concrete things, especially in the
beginning, to make this stick.
I need to greet each
day, not with
"well, here I go
again, another day..." but rather,
"I'm fortunate to
be so much better than I used to be... what am I going to do with this day I'm
starting?"
Here's the petition link -
