There's an endless list of negatives that come with carrying the weight of a chronic illness through life. But surprisingly enough, if you squint real hard, stand on one leg all while rubbing your belly, and saying the alphabet backwards, you can start to make out the little lessons that darn disease tries to give for schlepping it around with you every day.
Obviously humor is a coping mechanism for me. But so is finding the good in the bad. The light in the dark. The wisdom in the wreckage. Here are 13 lessons my MS has taught me:
- Your inherent, intuitive brilliance is your compass. You won’t regret relying on it when you’re lost.
2. Have the courage to go with your gut. The outcome is scarier if you don’t listen.
3. We are stronger than we can imagine.
4. Gratitude can carry you through your worst days.
5. Life is more vivid when you take it day by day.
6. It’s okay to lean on loved ones for support.
7. You have to advocate for yourself, you’re worth it.
8. Grace is a beautifully freeing space to navigate from.
9. Perspective can make or break your spirit, so make sure you’re looking through the right lens.
10. Even when life is unfair, you’ll never win by playing victim.
11. F*ck anything that doesn’t bring you peace – period.
12. If we hop off auto-pilot, slow down, and really tune in, the universe has a lot to say.
13. You’re not promised tomorrow, and yesterday is gone. Life is the moment, and the moment is now.
It's my hope that sharing this list will land for someone who is having a challenging time making sense of it all. The thing is, there is no sense. There is no one reason why this happened to me, and why this has happened to you or someone you know. People will come up with all kinds of theories. From lifestyle, to genetics, to nutrition, to conspiracy theories, but the truth is, there is no definitive answer. And, that blank space with no answer to fill in can be maddening.
But what if we look at all the lessons it does provide? Things we maybe wouldn't have realized without this life-altering burden? There's another side-effect that happens. An enlightenment you embody when you're thrusted into the deep end ... What we’ve lost in our illness is found in our ability to learn. We are wiser. Rich in a knowing that is from the depths of our diagnosis.
This list is sent with so much chronic love!- xo, Kimmy
