To appreciate the sunny days you have to go through the storms

Multiple sclerosis is going to give you troubles at some point in your life. All of us go through them but everyone faces it differently. Many times it feels like it’s a constant struggle. Other times you may get a reprieve and have a moment of sanity and calm.

I have discovered that troubles play an important part in our life. They give us a chance to view everything happening from a different perspective, a new vantage point, a changed mindset. It’s important to appreciate the sunny days ahead because there will be stormy ones for sure. Those torrential downpours can be dreadful and overwhelming. No one likes them, but of all things you get a chance to clean out the weed once they pop up.

For me I saw the commitments that I made needed to change in order to simplify my life because they were overtaking me. I discovered that I was doing them just so I could get recognition for it. That’s just me being honest about it. I wouldn’t have ever told anyone my motive, but deep down I knew it was true.

Someone else could do a better job but I wanted to do it myself. That was so selfish of me. Once I gave up my commitments and made way for someone else to step into the position, my time was available for other things and I found myself actually enjoying the job the other person was doing in my stead.

There is so much in life to be grateful for:

• Having air to breathe
• The feeling of the sun
• The smell of flowers, fresh-cut grass, and trees
• The people we have in our lives
• To be alive
• For a beautiful sunrise
• For each new day
• That today is probably not the worst day
• For a hot cup of tea or coffee
• For the hard times, because they will help us appreciate the good times
• For failure, because it makes us stronger
• For the body—it carries us through this life
• To be able to learn new things
• To have a place to sleep at night
• For time to experience life
• For simply existing
• That you will get to live today and hopefully tomorrow, too
• For health, even though it may not be perfect
• For family

Change your perspective a little bit. Let the rain wash away your trials, burdensome commitments and undue stress so you can clean out the clutter and get a clearer view of life itself. Next time you have troubles, change your perspective. Let it rain so it can ease your troubles.

It’s all about your mentality. If you see multiple sclerosis as your problem, I’m sorry to say the problem has just started but if you think it as an opportunity to discover the importance of life, your opportunity has just started. Keep at it. Believe you can get through the struggles, overcome the chaos, and rise above the hardships…. little by little keep at it and as time passes you’ll find you are doing it. You are a survivor.

Next time you feel unappreciated, overwhelmed, alone and stressed remember you have a choice. You can wrap yourself up in excuses and self-pity, or you can choose to change your perspective and view the opportunities ahead that come through believing in yourself and getting rid of anything in your life that is holding you back. Just keep going… there’s a good future for you here once you get through the storm.