I Lived!

Waking up this morning was difficult. Within five minutes of my alarm going off, I knew that my stomach was not happy. It didn't want me to move.

I moved anyways.

It was not happy with me. At all.

I pushed forward.

I made it through the work day and came home.

I survived.

I knew that I needed to move, but was unable to find the motivation. That is until a good friend texted me to go walking.

I went.

As we talked about trials and struggles, an amazing thing happened.

I was INSPIRED!

Both of us have been through some rough patches and we talked about things that help us get through.

She shared with me this song:

My mind started going.

HOPE:  This word is mentioned nine times (in one form or another) during the song. Whether we feel it or not, there are also people who have hopes for us. These statements are powerful. "I hope you spend your days, but they all add up". "I hope that you don't suffer, but take the pain". What incredible thoughts. Take the pain, but don't become a sufferer. Make the most of every day, every hour, every minute.

GIVE IT ALL:   One of my favorite lines is, "The only way you can know is give it all you have.". How many times do we let how we are feeling or what we are going through stop us from doing something. We will only know if we could have done it or done better, if we act. We cannot let hard times stop us from moving forward or living our own hopes and dreams.

LIVE:   The chorus is powerful, especially with the story of the young man, in the video above. Are we doing all we can? When we are broken, do we continue living, fighting, pressing forward? Are we making the most of our lives?

No matter what the condition is that we are dealing with, we all have the power and ability to make committing statements.

I will move.

I will be happy.

I will have hope.

I will make the most of life.

I will give it all I have.

I will live.

If You're Happy and You Know It.... Fake it!

"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands" (Clap, Clap)

Oh, childhood! Those days were simple ones. You played. You ate. You took naps and it was acceptable, even expected (though not to you, because you wanted to play). You laughed at something funny, cried when you were sad, and clapping your hands meant you were happy. If only it were that easy now.

As you get older, you learn that it is not always acceptable to show how you are truly feeling, nor do you want to show those feelings. You go about life laughing and clapping your hands on the outside, when the inside is crying, or stomping it's feet, or scowling. We are now, more than ever, trying to apply the fake-it-until-you-make-it attitude. This is where we act happy and okay with everything, when we really aren't.

This is no different when faced with chronic issues. You grow and progress each day that you deal with the condition. That does not mean you are always thrilled or even remotely happy about what you are going through. You learn how to get through it or hide the pain because you don't want to be seen as weak, or a complainer, or needy. The strangest part of this is that sometimes, it actually works.

Initially, when I first got sick, before my diagnosis, I was not thrilled with how I felt, the way it affected me, and how extremely difficult it was making my life. However, I kept working, pushing forward and doing everything I could to move forward. After my diagnosis, I was pretty consistent about sticking with the diet (though I strayed a few times) and taking the meds. My attitude was not always the best. That needed to change. I began to fake being happy until I actually felt that way. Now, almost 9 years after the diagnosis, I do not follow the diet as strictly and I take more risks. Some days you just have to splurge. However, I do not have as many fake-it days and have been able to find true happiness, even though I am dealing with something very difficult. Don't get me wrong. I still have my days, weeks, or months when I am not in the make-it mode. Sometimes, I don't realize I am struggling with it, until I begin to question why I am feeling and acting the way I am. It is because I automatically started faking it. I don't believe it is a bad thing (to an extent).

Whatever your condition or issue may be, you will most likely have moments when you are not thrilled with the hand you have been dealt or don't understand why you have to go through the struggles.How you deal with it is really your choice, whether you do it honestly or by faking it. Both can be good. Being honest helps you work through the feelings and get over them. Faking it allows you to move forward and move ahead. There are negative ways to get through these times as well, but those really are not recommended. Find the method that works best for you and move forward.

As great as childhood was and as nice as it was to think clapping your hands truly meant you were happy, growing up has taught us that things are not always that way. Whether we fake it or make it, it is all about our attitude and what works best for you. You can show that by clapping your hands, stomping your feet, shouting hooray, hitting a pillow, etc. The possibilities are endless.