There’s never a better time than now to take a deep look inside and engage in change. Being positive and happy doesn’t come easily for many, especially in the face of chronic disease and other life stressors – there’s a constant process at hand.
Misery may “enjoy company” but I argue that the true draw remains with those that are optimistic in nature regardless of their daily struggles.
Life’s challenges are like rocks thrown at our feet – we know we have to be on the ready, because they’re coming. Some days we want to kick them, other days we pick them up, gently inspect them and toss them to the side – occasionally they make their way back home with us in a pocket and perch on a windowsill.
- How do you feel and react to most things in your life?
- Do you consider yourself an optimist, a realist or a pessimist?
- Do you think the way you see yourself falls in line with the way others perceive you? (If you’re ready to hear the truth, ask an honest person that knows you well.)
The load may be so heavy, that it feels impossible to lift at times.
One things for certain, we run the gamut when it comes to our responses when engaged in similar situations. As a nurse, I see it all of the time: People that choose to yell and blame others when things aren’t going as anticipated, those that politely ask for an explanation or those that sit patiently and always express their appreciation and gratitude.
It serves as a sweet reminder – we can choose our thoughts and behaviors.
There will be many times in our life that we’re faced with trying situations that we didn’t ask for – such as a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. What we’re left with is our reaction, our human response.
Here’s the thing – optimism is contagious.
When you’re exposed to even one happy person, you become happier too.
By paying attention to our thoughts and our responses to them, we engage in change; the more you give, the more you get. If we choose to be pessimistic about chronic disease, viewing it as a “ball and chain” of sorts, it’ll always be a drag and a blockade to happiness and goal setting.
You don’t have to love or even like your lot in life to accept it. It’s up to us to decide if the glass is half empty because of repeated daily challenges – it’s a choice. If you’re a parent, I urge you to look at the glass as half full. Kids unconsciously incorporate your feelings into the picture they draw of themselves and their reactions to their disease from your responses, your restrictions and your deep seated fears and worries. Positivity breeds positivity.
Type 1 diabetes makes us aware of many things that others are so detached from – starting with the basics of how our body reacts with everything it’s touched by. Our lifestyle is one of the best on earth with the central focus on healthful eating and moving the body – both are priceless secondary benefits to the disease itself.
It’s up to you, no one can do the work for you. If you want to find the silver lining you certainly will, it’s yours for the taking.