What is Success?
Success begins with Hope…
With so much negative surrounding our society and thought processes these days, it is hard to see success, hope, or positive in anything, especially in a debilitating disease such as Lyme disease. Many people have said to me that there is no success or hope with this disease, and I just refuse to believe that.
It is easy to give in to the negative, the pain, and the hopelessness that this disease leaves you feeling and experiencing. Especially if you have had it for years, or decades. No break without pain. It’s always hard to tell what symptoms are from Lyme, what is from other underlying conditions, and what is from medication. The stress of doctors and finances; sometimes just being able to get out of bed is enough to drive one into despair. Lyme is a very complicated disease, and many of us begin to lose hope and give into it……diminishing our chances of success.
Personally, I do not allow myself to have that option. Throughout my life I have had many challenges and many experiences that have left me feeling beaten down and hopeless. I often forget that it is not how I got there, what I did wrong, what cards have been dealt to me, what other people have done to me, or how I’ve been victimized. It’s about picking myself up, brushing myself off and starting again…with determination.
In my humble opinion and personal experience, it IS possible to beat this disease with Hope, Perseverance, and Fortitude!
Success is Success…..
Regardless of what the next moment brings.
Success is not defined by the end all cure, remission, or finality of any one thing or experience. Success is measured even in the smallest of steps. Any progress is success in my book. One step forward, no matter how many steps back you may take, is success. Perspective plays a huge role in success.
Something as simple as how you define success can be affected by perspective. Do you define it as 100% completion? Does success require absolute resolve? How about if you define success as each day, progressing a little further than the day before?
What if success can be finding one thing to be grateful for every morning when you wake up? How about having the strength and courage to get out of bed in the morning, despite the fatigue, the pain, and the lack of desire? Could that be considered success?
I have realized life is not about the individual moments that make up a lifetime. It’s not about where we’re going or where we’ve been. It’s not about who wronged us or who we’ve wronged. It’s about where we are right now. What that place is. Where we are in that place. That’s it. There is no mystery.
Nothing exists outside of this very moment. And if this moment is better than the last, then I have achieved success. It doesn’t matter if the next moment takes me backwards. Because the very next moment might take me to a new place….maybe sideways. Who knows?
Share Your Story!
It is incredibly important to share success stories in order to give hope and courage to those in the midst of any struggle. I have always been a firm believer in sharing even the little successes and lessons in life. My grandfather was a great storyteller, and he taught me that you have to share your stories in order to pass on wisdom and information to those around you. They may not listen to you, or believe you, but the information is available to them if they choose to hear it.
Plus, sometimes, it helps to get it all out of your head. At least for me, there is a sense of relief, a sense of letting go. And you can do this many ways. You can write it down, talk to a trusted friend, draw, paint, sing. Use whatever outlet or medium is yours. Sometimes, just separating yourself from it for a minute helps to shift your Perspective.
Success can be measured by having the courage to recognize it in the first place…