Don't Feel Sorry for Me, Feel Sorry for YOURSELF

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There's a widespread tendency of people feeling pity for me because I became so physically disabled when I developed Multiple Sclerosis.

But the fact of the matter is that a fair number of people who become disabled in the middle of life and who are of a mind to meet their new challenges head-on...generally find a renewed sense of purpose that is generally missing among the non-disabled population.

Thus, I see my disability NOT as life-ending, but life-enhancing.

I'm learning to live with my new limitations...other people are just skating along with life as usual (as if they are never going to face a tragedy like this).

Frankly these non-disabled masses are the ones who are delusional. Even OLD AGE strikes the healthiest of us...eventually.

I, on the other hand, have been given a head-start on understanding many of the realities of aging, meaning I have more time to ADAPT than most people.

Hence it is I who am the fortunate one.

This may seem like the hopeful rationalizations of a total washout. But I tell you, it's true.

You, on the other hand, are often wrapped-up in so many meaningless endeavors that you can barely find time to be concerned about what might befall you (or people you love) in the not-so-distant-future.

There's nothing wrong with this attitude, but it does leave a lot of people scrambling to make sense of things at the last-minute when they discover that they've been living in a pervasive illusion I call NOW-ME-FIRST psychology.

The primary reason I have been able to survive all these changes is because I realized long ago that caring for others and caring for the future are not only socially-beneficial ideas, but personally-beneficial ideas, as well.

Worrying about the future does no good, because when you arrive there you must deal with the realities at-hand and it's highly improbable that you can predict what you'll need for the future.

As I've mentioned, before MS, I was in near-perfect health. I turned 37 and one day I just got so ill I could no longer do the things I had done the day before.

Okay, MS is rare...but there are any number of random diseases or injuries that could devastate YOUR life this way.

The only way to overcome ANYTHING that might befall you is to treat people with respect and to challenge yourself (discipline yourself) constantly.

Slacking-off may sound appealing...but it's YOUR future you are monkeying with.

--mattergy