You Are Not Your Diagnosis
Of course I knew you shouldn’t let your diagnosis define or limit you. Over the years, I’ve said this many times to students looking for help with both chronic conditions and specific injuries. Pain and disability make it hard to focus on anything else, but if you define yourself by your diagnosis, you limit your freedom. And when you can’t do the things you enjoy, pathology becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Often, the first step to getting better is seeing those beliefs for what they are—just beliefs.
Resilience
I’ve always wondered about resilience. What is it that makes some people able to bounce back regardless of the circumstance or challenge? And why do some people recover more easily from an illness or injury or a traumatic event like the loss of job or friend? To me resilience seemed a question of attitude and natural optimism, of being able to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. Ultimately, of being grateful for all the good stuff.