If I think something is terrible, scary, impossible, or difficult - it is to me. If I think something is wonderful, awesome, possible or inspiring - well, that's true too. Perception is everything. What I think I've heard is usually what I believe I heard. What I believe makes sense to me, because I believe it. My perception is my reality and it helps me to remember that I can change my reality by changing my perception. I don't mean to say that just because I see myself as an Olympic Swimmer, I will become one. What I AM saying is that unless I DO see myself as a swimmer there is NO possible way for me to EVER have a chance to become one. Every success starts with a thought. I can apply this perception to illness - if I perceive myself as empowered, satisfied, fulfilled and whole - I am that, regardless if I have a medical condition or not. I choose my attitude and my perception. I have choice, I have potential and I have power. My life may look different than I thought it would and it may have given me pause when I think about what I have lost, but my power comes from who I AM - not what I used to be or what I don't have. There have been moments of sadness and feelings of loss as I have traveled this fibro journey, but I can decide to see those emotions as natural as I go through the changes in my life. Rather than fight them I can acknowledge they exist and then move on.
Through the years I have taken a kidding or two and sometimes a hit of sarcasm or criticism for being so positive and so cheery. I used my positive attitude to power me through the hardest times in my life. If I were not positive - I would have fallen into the abyss of despair because things were just so hard. I chose to see the bright side because the dark side was so frightening. That attitude allowed me not just to survive, but to thrive in situations that might otherwise have brought me to my knees. I have had periods of time when I had to fight to stay more optimistic than pessimistic and I took hits for that, too. When people are used to seeing me as positive, they don't take too well to the negative side coming through. But their comments about it were good for me to hear because I could use their perception to help me to clarify my emotions and get myself right again.
I have always believed that I could achieve my dreams and I have had a life filled with blessings big and small. Recently a woman that I met in a store said she wished she had my positive energy - me - with fibro - who can't drag my butt off the couch. She perceived me as having positive energy and that perception fed into my own perception of myself as an optimist. My energy isn't expressed in my illness - it is expressed in my very being. The soul of me feels light and energized, even when my body needs a rest. There are days when I am home alone and I think to myself that it feels silly to feel so happy when I am home sick. When the dark days come and I lose my grip on my lighter perception, the memory of those happy feelings draws me back into balance. I am what I call a realistic optimist. That means that I stay close to what is real and I choose to see the positive side without becoming lost in fantasy or pretending that the challenges I face aren't formidable. When I recognize and clarify what I am up against I am better able to do battle and come out strong and empowered on the other side. Only I can control what is in my head and I have learned that I am choosing to be happier, healthier, more open and more compassionate when I choose to be positive.
Through the years I have taken a kidding or two and sometimes a hit of sarcasm or criticism for being so positive and so cheery. I used my positive attitude to power me through the hardest times in my life. If I were not positive - I would have fallen into the abyss of despair because things were just so hard. I chose to see the bright side because the dark side was so frightening. That attitude allowed me not just to survive, but to thrive in situations that might otherwise have brought me to my knees. I have had periods of time when I had to fight to stay more optimistic than pessimistic and I took hits for that, too. When people are used to seeing me as positive, they don't take too well to the negative side coming through. But their comments about it were good for me to hear because I could use their perception to help me to clarify my emotions and get myself right again.
I have always believed that I could achieve my dreams and I have had a life filled with blessings big and small. Recently a woman that I met in a store said she wished she had my positive energy - me - with fibro - who can't drag my butt off the couch. She perceived me as having positive energy and that perception fed into my own perception of myself as an optimist. My energy isn't expressed in my illness - it is expressed in my very being. The soul of me feels light and energized, even when my body needs a rest. There are days when I am home alone and I think to myself that it feels silly to feel so happy when I am home sick. When the dark days come and I lose my grip on my lighter perception, the memory of those happy feelings draws me back into balance. I am what I call a realistic optimist. That means that I stay close to what is real and I choose to see the positive side without becoming lost in fantasy or pretending that the challenges I face aren't formidable. When I recognize and clarify what I am up against I am better able to do battle and come out strong and empowered on the other side. Only I can control what is in my head and I have learned that I am choosing to be happier, healthier, more open and more compassionate when I choose to be positive.
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