Archive for November 22, 2014

Attitude, Attitude, Attitude

The saying in real estate is that it is all about location, location, location.  Something similar applies to life.  It is all about attitude, attitude, attitude.

Having your health is nice.  Having friends and family is nice.  Having money is nice.  Having a good job is nice.  However, without the proper attitude, your life can still be lacking something important.

There have been numerous books written about having a good attitude and how it can change your life.  There are courses and seminars on having the right attitude.  There are those who claim having the proper attitude will promote healing.

Radio and television ads claim that getting your attitude right will make you rich.  Of course you have to pay them to find out how.

There have been scientific studies showing that attitude helps keep people healthy and that they often live longer lives.

If there is so much out there promoting having a good or proper attitude, then why do so many people still not get it?

There can be no excuses.  Being sick is no excuse.  Being poor is no excuse.  Being lonely is no excuse.  Attitude (except in some rare cases involving mental illness) is completely under our control.  Yes, we control our attitude.

There is no need to take a class, go to a seminar, watch someone on television or read a book on how to develop the proper attitude.  Each of us knows instinctively what a good or bad attitude is.  We just seem to choose to ignore it.

For those who are feeling sorry for themselves.  For those who want to give up.  For those who want to focus on their problems.  I say – start squeaking your wheels and change your attitude.

Note:  I do recognize that depression, anxiety and other similar problems do exist as an illness or condition.  In these circumstances and in the case of some mental or physical illnesses the individual has no control over their feelings or attitudes.  I do not include these individuals when telling them to get off their butts and change.  For those individuals I would suggest getting the help that is available and when possible make those life changes that they are capable of making.

 

Posted by RespectABILITY Law Center on Thursday, November 20, 2014

Slow Brain Day

I call them slow brain days.  You may have them.  Getting up is a little harder than normal.  Starting the day seems like work.  Everything you do just seems to take more time and effort.  Sometimes more time and effort than seems worthwhile.

If my teenagers had tried that years ago I would have told them they were being lazy or they were trying to get over on something.  And they probably would have been.

Now years later, having survived a stroke and having part of my brain die – it is something has happens now and then.  My brain just needs a break so it takes one.

I have learned to listen to my body.  If I am tired at 7 or 8 pm I go to sleep.  If my leg is doing the twitchy thing (that is my legs way of telling me enough) then I sit and let it rest.  So it would follow that if my brain wants to go slowly, then I should take it easy and let my brain have its way.

One of the advantages of being retired and disabled is that I have the luxury of allowing my body to dictate my schedule.  Why push my brain when it needs rest?  I have no pressing engagements.

There have been days that are not slow brain days.  However on occasion my brain will get overworked.  It is not exactly a headache and my brain does not really hurt, but it lets me know it wants a time out.

Anyone who has suffered a brain injury will probably know what I mean.  Those times when your brain just does not want to think, or rather not think to hard.

It is not something that we can control.  We may have coping mechanisms.  We may have ways to disguise those times.  However, the bottom line is that the brain usually wins and we have to give it a rest.  Literally.

This is just one of the many invisible disabilities that accompany brain injuries, both TBI and ABI.  Brain injury survivors have two choices, fight it or accept it.  I have found that fighting what my body and brain are telling me is futile.

I do stretch my limits.  I do challenge both my body and my brain.  However, when push comes to shove, I am overruled.

It is not the end of the world.  Slow brain day, then I just take it easy.  After all I have an excuse for lolling about, part of my brain died.

Previously posted on my blog Part of My Brain Died What is Your Excuse.