Last year, a dear friend received a devastating diagnosis that would entail multiple surgeries, extensive treatments and grueling medication protocols with maybe a 50-60% chance of successfully treating the disease, per her doctor. When I went to visit her shortly after she shared this news with me, I was still reeling with shock and anticipated that my friend would greet me at the door looking like a deer in the headlights. Much to my surprise, when she opened the door, she looked just like the sweet, healthy, fun person I have always known and there was not one trace of red-rimmed eyes or the ashen, sleepless appearance of someone wrestling with bad news.
When I confessed my thoughts, she nodded in understanding but went on to talk openly about making a personal decision to think positively and maintain an attitude of optimism. She very clearly stated that she was not in denial and definitely understood the challenges but remarked, “I have a choice in how I choose to think about this……act on this…….talk about it and, more importantly whether I will let it rule my life.”
Here we are a year later and my friend has kept the promise she made to herself, meeting each day with a smile, a bit of humor, a can-do attitude and grace. She is fighting the good fight and sometimes she cries or yells at the universe but then she takes a big breath, thinks about everything she is thankful for and re-adopts her optimistic approach to life.
We all have problems, challenges and moments in our lives when we feel overwhelmed or maybe even defeated. The attitude we adopt, the manner in which we choose to conduct ourselves and focusing on what is good, can have a tremendous impact on our ability to “fight the good fight”. The power of optimism can affect each of us individually and it can also have a profound effect on our family, friends, co-workers and strangers.
