Dealing With Disability

Dealing with disability- what does that mean to you?

If you find yourself in a rut, a negative spiral, thinking -“I CAN’T do this, I CAN’T do that”…

STOP!

Better, ask yourself, “What CAN I do?”

If someone tells you,”THIS is you now. You’ll never get better. You’ll only get worse.”…What is best…to believe them, to accept it, to let that disability define you, limit you?   -Or-   do you decide to refuse to let that disability define you, decide that you will adapt, however that may be? You will press on!

Dealing with disability doesn’t have to mean focusing on personal limitations.

You can change your focus.

You can decide to take control of your attitude rather than let it be hijacked by the challenges of dealing with disability.

I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying that you can simply wish away the problem. No, the struggle is real. The struggle is constant. A conscious decision must be made, every day, a deliberate effort to push the problem to the back of your mind (as much as possible). Mindset makes all the difference.

Sometimes I get pretty down on myself because of my disability. I might feel sorry for myself, get angry at my circumstances,or become frustrated beyond words.  But, viewing myself as a victim never helps.

Dealing with disability is a challenge to be sure! A constant struggle, a mental marathon. Sometimes it seems too hard to find the motivation to press on. But, don’t give up. Don’t give in. You’re not alone.

It’s so encouraging to see someone maintain a positive attitude in a difficult situation.

If you’re dealing with a disability, please watch this video.

Sean Stephenson, thank you for sharing your invaluable experience with us!

Also, there are many encouraging experiences that can be read on jw.org. Just type ‘disability’ in the search box. Here’s one that I enjoyed.

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Wake up and live

This morning, before work, before breakfast, I sat in my dark living room looking at my smartphone with dull, blurry eyes. Sipping my 1st cup of coffee—– Slowly waking up. (Slowly wasting time.)

came across this article and was surprised to find in it some thought provoking content.

One day the writer realized he wasn’t living his life the way he wanted. He realized that he was in control. To change something, to wake up and live, or continue down the unhealthy path he was on; with numb mind and slumped shoulders. His choice.          

He took charge, made changes , and is now helping others to do the same. 

I started thinking – what is one thing I can improve?

I’d like to think more. I’d like to generate some creative steam, to be passionate about something. But it’s difficult. There’s no time, I’m too busy, too tired.

Will I continue down this unhealthy path of mental laziness, trudging along in the trench of monotony? Or will I narrow my focus, break the routine, and make time to live?

Driving to work this morning, in an effort to escape the all too familiar holiday music and the tiresome top 20 songs , I turned off the radio.

Don’t get me wrong, I love music… real music. Music that is good because I like it. I get so tired of being spoon fed the same 10 songs Mon- Fri , 8-5. Day in and day out.

So, in my car, I turned it off and after a few minutes of road noise…. my brain turned on.

One thought that kept bobbing in my mind was, “I’m so caught up in the day to day that there’s just no time to live.”

Well, what is one thing I can change?

I’ve got it!

Tomorrow morning I will drink my coffee in the garage, not the living room. 10 minutes of lifting weights instead of scanning the news highlights. A simple break. A positive move. It won’t cost me anything and it won’t take time from anything, or anyone important.

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