Positive People

I’m elated to report that I have had a great run of good days this past week.  Praise God!  Counting my blessings……..even the small stuff!  I did have a headache yesterday afternoon, but a little nap and some migraine medicine after lunch was all I needed to get rid of that pesky thing.

I ventured out to our Personality Festival on Saturday morning.  Thankfully we had some cooler weather this weekend…..and being out and about was much more tolerable for me!  I ran into sooooo many people there that I hadn’t seen in awhile. It’s always so encouraging to run into friends, acquaintances and fellow cancer warriors who are so supportive and continue to encourage me in this fight……and I’m still in awe of just how many people say “I love your blog”!  God is so good!  I have had several people tell me that by sharing what’s going on with me on my blog, it allows them to know how to specifically pray for me and my family.  While I never considered that as I’ve written the posts…..there’s just another way that God works in the small stuff!  An unexpected “joy bomb”.

 

Many people have asked me “how do you stay so positive”?  Granted – some days I’m more upbeat and positive than others……but as a whole, I have been very positive through since mess.  First of all – The Good Lord has been the source of much of that positive attitude.  Literally since the minute the doctor found the lump……I have had a peace about this entire ordeal.  He knew I was going to need His help to get through this, and He showed up right away………by putting this Bible verse in my head as I sat in the waiting room at Durham Diagnostic…….

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”   Deuteronomy 31:8

And He has continued to go before me…….EVERY……SINGLE…..STEP of the way.  God is good…..all the time……all the time……God is good.

My best advise to anyone battling cancer or any other illness or demon……SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE!  Because you won’t FEEL positive every day.  But on those days when you wake up at 9am and just know it’s not going to be a good day……then you pick up your phone and find a text of encouragement and a Bible verse sent by one of your POSITIVE PEOPLE……that helps to encourage you to BELIEVE that today is, indeed, going to be a good day.   And for goodness sakes, ELIMINATE the TOXIC people from your life.  You don’t need them anyway…….but especially if you are going through a difficult time.  Toxic people ALWAYS bring you down – and you don’t need ANY of that.  You need only positive people and attitudes in your life.

And please know that GOOD DAYS doesn’t always mean GREAT or the BEST days.  And it’s all about PERSPECTIVE.  We have a choice to make each and every day – to decide if today is going to be GOOD or BAD.  If we choose to make the most of every day and find even the smallest thing to count a victory that day – it will go in the books as a WIN!

Good days (for me) can be:

• feeling like showering before 6pm
• not feeling exhausted AFTER i shower
• a day with no doctors appointments
• catching a morning (or afternoon) nap
• surprise visits to pass the time
• talking on the phone to a friend
• getting emails or texts of encouragement
• someone bringing lunch (or dinner) or taking you out on days you feel up to it!
• feeling good enough to check things of your “to do” list
• someone texting to say “i prayed for you today”
• days with no nausea

And please don’t think it’s all unicorns and fairy dust every day for me!  Some days are definitely more challenging than others.  Some days, I count it a WIN if I make it from the bed…..to the coffee maker…..and to the couch…….and feel like I’ve accomplished ALOT. Other days, I have enough energy to make a 2-3 hour trek out of the house…..running errands…..or grocery shopping……or attending church…….whatever it may be.  But the most important thing is to CHOOSE to find AT LEAST one good thing about your day and focus on what was good rather than what wasn’t so pleasant!

When I think of the positives of my situation – these things quickly come to mind:

• quick showers (no hair to wash, no legs/arms to shave)
• the money i’m saving on shampoo and hair products
• i can take a nap at any time and wake up and not worry how my hair looks! 🙂  i’m “runway ready” 24/7
• the money i’m saving not being able to get my nails done (yep – that’s a no-no when you’re going thru chemo)!
• being thankful to JUST be nauseous some days…..that’s WAYYYY better than hugging the toilet and throwing up!
• being thankful for CHARMIN EXTRA-SOFT MEGA ROLLS!
• being 50 and it  being TOTALLY okay to have a PAJAMA day whenever I want to (several of you have visited and found me right here…..on the couch…..in my PJ’s)!
• eating philly cheese steak sandwiches 3x’s in less than a week when things are tasting “normal” because they taste SOOOO……DANG…….GOOOD right now!
• reconnecting with old friends……we really shouldn’t let LIFE get in the way…..but we all do!  and getting to know many new ones!
• meeting my insurance max-out-of-pocket WAYYYY early this year…..so all my bills are covered at 100%! (that’s HUGE)!

Honestly……I could go on with the positives……but I think you get my point!

Staying positive is so much easier with God and positive friends and family on my side.  And who am I kidding?  I still have a LONG ways to go.  I’m sure there will be some tough days ahead……but knowing that I have such positive folks on my team, I know they will cheer me on during those difficult days.

Here’s to you finding the positive in all your tomorrows!

Hugs!  The verse below says it all……..

Be encouraged!

Sonja

Philippians 4:8-9The Message (MSG)

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.