E.A.S.Y. Way to Thrive (part 2)

E.A.S.Y.

(A)

ATTITUDE/ACTION

Yesterday, I talked about Education being the first part in changing how you look at your struggles.  Understanding and learning about what you are dealing with, helps so much in giving YOU the control and not allowing your condition to control you.

While education is important, it is nothing, without a positive attitude.  What good would knowing all about your condition do, if you have a really bad attitude about it?  How would negativity help in making you feel better?  

I grew up in a very toxic environment, where Neurofibromatosis was an awful swear word, that was never to be brought up.  My mother still carries with her, a tremendous guilt for 'giving' her children this horrible, unpredictable "curse".

I watched my mom, and how she treated her own NF and how her fear and negativity was spread around, affecting everyone in her path.  It was no secret that my mother was scared to death of NF.  She allowed that fear to control her, blinding her from the fact, that she actually had TWO children affected with NF.

For years, I wondered, what was wrong with me.  Why were my symptoms being ignored?  Why was I showing the same signs my brothers was, and no one was doing anything about it?

Attitude.  A fearful attitude will keep you from Thriving, plain and simple.  A depressed outlook, will limit the possibilities that are within reach for you.

YOUR attitude and YOUR actions are the only part of your life with Neurofibromatosis that you can control.  I know that we are brought up in a world who encourages us to blame how WE feel on anything we can find.....Blame God.  Blame the Doctors.  Blame our parents....

But when it comes down to how we REALLY feel....It's not the people around that we can truly blame.  It's the person that reside in our hearts...and the actions WE CHOOSE, or CHOOSE NOT to take.

I didn't start out 'Thriving with Neurofibromatosis'.  I made a choice, to not live in the negativity anymore.  I made the choice to break the cycle and DO SOMETHING, instead of sitting hopelessly by waiting for NF to do something to ME.

I don't sit behind a curtain of shame and fear.  I put myself in front of the world.  I share my struggles, my triumphs.  My good days, my bad days....In hopes of making a difference.  These ACTIONS changed my ATTITUDE.

When I find my attitude suffering the most, is when I choose to sit and do nothing.  Thriving or not....I still find myself there.  I just choose to not stay there.  It's when you choose to get up from that spot, and move on to the next moment in your lives, when you choose to take ACTION... you truly THRIVE.

THRIVE ON!