MSer Gerard's Tips for Staying Optimistic With MS
I just think of all those people in the world living below the poverty line (and I'm talking about the global poverty line that stands at $1.90 a day — that's an annual income of $693 dollars). I think of the 1.1 billion without access to adequate water or the 2.6 billion without access to basic sanitation.
Those numbers go on and on (and on, unfortunately). Yes, even with MS, I do consider myself an incredibly lucky human. And you should too!
I also have a loving daughter, two amazing sisters, and a group of incredible friends I have been close with since high school. If I'm ever in a crisis, any of those guys would drop everything to help me.
I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and clean water in the taps. I'm lucky enough to live in a pretty great apartment — and okay, I do have a big TV too!
I have my intellect (okay, so maybe not when I'm in brain fog afternoons, but still). I have my optimism and positivity, and most importantly, I retain my sense of humor about pretty much everything, MS included.
I look at those things, not the bad things.
Retain a Sense of Humor
People ask me all the time how I can stay positive and make jokes about things that are seemingly beyond humor.
In my case, I'm certain I get it from my father, who passed away back in 2004. He always was positive that today would be better than yesterday, and he never lost his sense of humor.
I'll give you a specific example: he'd been in the hospital going through chemo and radiation therapy for a particularly brutal form of cancer. At a point in the process, the doctors discovered he had some really significant circulation issues with one of his feet, and the only thing they could do about the issue was to amputate his leg, just above his knee.
So while most, if not everyone, would be crushed by this news, my father referred to it as his “leg reduction surgery!” I honestly thought that was about the funniest thing I'd ever heard, especially with respect to what was being done!
Find the Light
When I was on long-term disability, my insurance company (who was anxious to get me off their payroll) paid for me to be retrained as a life coach. So, allow me to put on my life coach hat for a moment.
I used to always tell clients who were dealing with significant life-changing decisions, and also dealing with significant issues in their lives, to look to the light.
What I mean by that is there are always “dark” phases in each of our lives (and yes, MS is a particularly dark phase I fully admit), so what each of us have to do when facing darkness is find the “light.” There is always light, though sometimes it can feel difficult to find.
That light could be anything: it could be an upcoming gathering of friends or family; it could be an upcoming meeting of your support group; it could be as simple as seeing a flower in spring.
Show me a life without some sort of light and I'll show you someone who's simply not trying hard enough.
So, please do not look at what MS has and continues to take. It is counterproductive. Rather, look at all the positive things you do have in your life.
Then you'll be like me, waking up believing and knowing today will be better than yesterday.
