• Sophie Ward

Negatives To Postives.

My pain has been unbearable recently. Yes I have my good and my bad days. Recently though I have been extremely exhausted and tire quicker than ever.

This is not just difficult to accept everyday but the fact that it's summer my favourite time of year it's even harder to see people enjoying their lives, their travels, summer outfits, days out, nights out etc and you are confined to your bed and your sofa. Carrying your pillows and cushions around because your joints constantly ache. 

Due to this I felt that today's post needed to be a motivational one. It's Monday - a new week. 

I could write a hundred, thousands of negative points about my illness. What I feel I have missed out on, how it makes me feel etc but here it's all about making negatives into positives. 

So I thought I would find 10 positive things that I have gained through my illness.

1. Strength - this has to be the top 'gain' from all the suffering I have experienced over the years. The battles I have fought and the storms I have weather throughout the years have really made me stronger as a person. 

2. Inspiring people - I am lucky enough to have met and to be around inspiring people. People also fighting the same battle, who's illness have meant they have had to give up their businesses, travel plans, dreams and goals yet still stay so strong and smile. As well as the amazing friends and family that weather the storms alongside you! Always offering a hand wherever possible. 

3. Lessons - whether it's to be grateful and to cherish everything you are, receive, see, experience and so on. To dealing with the pain and being the best person you possibly can be. And finally you do so much research into your illness you could qualify as a nurse. 

4. More in touch and sensitive to others who are unwell - whether someone has come down with a simple cold or complex disease you are better equipped to help. Whether it's knowing what best to take medication wise, how to deal with symptoms, what the issue may be or whom is best to see about the illness. You could be a very handy friend. 

5. Inspires you - the fight inspires you in your personal and career life. The struggles you have faced can fill you with creative ideas. 

6. True friendships shows- your true friends will shine through and yes you go through a lot of pain realising that some friends aren't as invested into your friendship as you first thought you now know where you stand and who to invest & spend your time with. 

7. You practise more positivity - you have to be your own cheerleader. It's the only way you stay sane. There is nolonger room for negativity or negative thoughts. Even negative people you have to learn to distance yourself from.

8. New experiences - whether it's taking on a city in a wheelchair, to receiving treatment in a part of the country you would never think of visiting. Turning all negatives into positives is so important. It's important to remember you get to soak up and explore more by using a wheelchair ( which you didn't want to use ) you would much rather walk but we have to rock what we have. And yes treatment may be intense, unpleasant and draining but remind yourself of the cafe you may have found that you love or a great pub which serves yummy food that you would never have come across if it hadn't have been for your illness. You are getting to see and experience places and parts of the world you wouldn't have otherwise. 

9. Engaging with your innerself more - you really, really have to learn more about yourself and your body. Whether it means that the cold will heighten your pain levels or that broccoli will make you sick with stomach aches all night. These symptoms and reactions help you become more in tune with you body and teaches you to 'check in' more and learn warning signs that you may not be ok as well as the up side of something may have really made you feel fab. So many of us these days and I am still guilty of this habit of ignoring my body signals - pain being the main one. Ignoring them only leading to more serious problems and heightened pain. 

10. Grow up -you are forced to grow up fast. Chronic illness and disease causes reality to literally slap you in the face. This is life. Ups, downs and very unpredictable. There aren't any castles or magic wands. One day all can be fine and dandy the other you can be laid in a hospital bed fighting for you very existence. This fact many never get their heads around. They just think they can sail through life and will be untouched by anything that could cause or trigger grief, ill health or sadness. The hard reality is- none of us are superheroes, we are all in the firing line of life's machine gun. Nobody is safe or invincible. 

The faster we learn and understand this the more gratitude we begin to show - which is important. 

So I hope if you are also suffering from chronic disease & illness you can also see the positives in why life tested you this way. 

I give you the challenege of writing out your 10 positives you have gained from your illness. 

It can be as simple & silly as it got me into eating fresh pineapple and now I am addicted or it can be something more serious like it was the reason you and your Mum became close. Just finding 10 positives and writing them down can really inspire you to keep fighting and also brighten your mood. Encouraging you to keep progressing and why everyday we never surrender. DESPITE how difficult fight for the day is. 

Yes we may not be living the life we wanted or dreamed for. Nor feeling the way in which we want to. 

But damn right we are living the best we can under the circumstances we find ourselves in and that's what is important. This ensures we won't look back and live in regret. We have enough pain from missing out, without regret on top. 

Rock today, this week. 

Keep a positive mind set and let me know your positives you have picked up, learnt or experienced because of your illness.

Love and peace



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