We Have the Power to Change our Stories
None of us are perfect and some of us are going through really challenging times right now but we all have the power to change our stories. What do I mean by that? Let me explain using my story as an example. After I graduated college, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis but that wasn’t the end; it was just the beginning. I went through a time when I was frustrated with this diagnosis but I realized rather quickly that feeling sorry for myself didn’t make me feel any better. I decided that MS was a part of me but it wasn’t going to run or ruin my life. If I was going to get through this, I needed to befriend it and we needed to work together.
By befriending MS, it has helped me deal with all the challenging situations I am faced with these days like my shaky hands and numb fingertips, my legs that don’t always want to move and my bladder that has a mind of its own. Most days I feel like I have control over my mind and spirit and my MS has control over my body. When I start walking, my brain is always about 5 steps ahead of my feet; thus, making me look completely imbalanced but that’s OK. I just tell people with a big smile on my face that my legs have been possessed by MS. That normally diffuses the situation so I don’t have to hear, “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?” The last thing I want from anyone is pity. There are so many people in this world whose situations are much worse than mine. I have MS and it may run rogue on my body at times but I choose to live every day to the fullest and stay positive.
Multiple Sclerosis affects everyone in different ways so there are several different stories being told out there. Although there is currently no cure for this disease, we do have the power to change our stories from negative to positive. We don’t have to dwell on the fact that we have MS; we just have to befriend it and make peace with it so we can live together in some kind of harmony. My story may have started off negative the day I was diagnosed with MS but I have changed it to become a motivational and inspirational story. Most of the time, I laugh at myself and the stupidity that happens to me and by finding humor in my situations, it tends to inspire other people. I challenge you to change your story too and inspire others to do the same.