Right…but we don’t have to stay there. It’s important to keep some sense of reality around you as you assess your situation in life. In a situation like mine, it’s tempting to move to some sense of denial, believe me.
If I’m having a few moments where I don’t hurt, I can just about convince myself that I’ve imagine all this. I’m going to get a call in the morning, and my doctor will say, “Wait a minute! Your name isn’t ‘Ruth Periwinkle!’ We’ve made a huge mistake-sorry about that.”
And then my chemo pump makes the noise that reminds me that it’s all…too…real.
But that doesn’t mean I have to stay here. My mindset isn’t one of a disease stealing the life from me. My mindset is one of accepting the discomfort of the moment in return for feeling great later. I’m happy to carry on, confident that I can get back to the work that so fills my heart and life.
And in the meantime, I’m allowed to make the very best of this moment. I can seek to use this moment to learn more about what matters in life. I can use this moment to communicate that learning to others. I can use the unexpected gift of a slower paced life to really contemplate what I can share with others.
Wherever you are in your life this moment-whether you’re thrilled with every part of it or not-understand and acknowledge it. But you don’t have to stay there. View it as a stop along the way, and focus your energy and thoughts on how to get to the next stop. And do me a favor, okay? Spend just as much time thinking about how to help someone else as they travel their own path.
One final thought: John Perles and Amy Guy have a great radio show “Your Life Is Your Business!” Saturday morning at 10:00 on WCRA-AM 1090. It’s a fantastic show, and they’ve asked me to appear with them this Saturday morning. These guys are terrific, and I hope you’ll tune in on Saturday.