It’s easy to let chronic illness take over your life. It’s not so easy to rise above it. It’s frustrating when people don’t understand that you’re not being negative when you discuss your limitations. There’s not a whole lot you can do about them. They’re here to stay, no matter how positive you are. On the other hand, there are ways you can work around chronic illness to meet your life goals. Things may not go as planned, or as quickly as you had planned, but you can do it. Here’s how.
Pay no attention to negative comments and gossip.
Chronic illness and pain are often invisible to others. You’ll hear people say that you’re faking your pain. Some will say that you’re lazy because you don’t have a real job. They’ll compare you unfavorably to others with your illness. Be strong. Have faith in yourself. You know the truth. You are doing everything you can to meet your goals, despite your illness. Focus on that truth, not the rumors. Your job is to work on getting well and living the best life possible. You’re doing your job.
Revel in your illness.
You may not realize it. Still, you’ve been given a wonderful gift. Not everyone gets a chance like this. You know the deepest meaning of triumphing over adversity. You know what it is to struggle against all odds. Learn and grow from the experience. Draw strength from your struggles. Use that strength to advance toward your life goals.
Do what you can, when you can.
There will be many days when your illness stops you in your tracks. You’ll never know when those days are coming. Thankfully, there will also be days when you feel you can take on the world. Most days will fall somewhere in between. That’s why you have to use every opportunity and every healthy day to its fullest potential.
Find inspiration in the small steps.
Be doubly proud of every little triumph. You have to work harder than most people to get what you want from life. Be inspired by every forward step you take on your journey. You earned your bragging rights, no matter how small your achievements might seem. Don’t be afraid to be proud of yourself. Self esteem is key in meeting your goals.
Some days are just a bust.
That’s OK. Use them to renew your spirit and your physical well being. Having chronic pain and fighting to create a normal life for yourself is exhausting all by itself. You earned your down time. Don’t feel bad about resting when you need to. There’s a long, hard road ahead. Allowing yourself to take it easy on bad days ensures that you’re fit for the journey
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