Why are you Happy?
It’s all about choice
Michael H Ballard of Resiliency for Life
It was a question I got several times during my often
frightening challenges with two bouts of cancer, multiple treatments and life
saving midnight surgery. Those where very intense times. I still have the gift
of 77 medical clip and several big scars that help remind me of that time and
those years of treatment.
 |
| Michael H Ballard |
After attending yet another doctors appointment at a clinic
for a check up I was pulled aside and asked by one of the administrators “Why
are you Happy?” Seems out of the 2650+ people the clinic served I was one of
six or seven they noted where for the most part happy. It also turns out that morale at the clinic
and keeping staff turnover down was an ongoing challenge. So many of the
patients took their frustrations out on staff or where “sour grapes” to deal
with for the staff. Staff were doing their best to help the patients and often
the family cope and manage a very unpleasant illness. Yet some patients where
out and out nasty to deal with.
So back to the question “Why are you Happy? Well mostly it
is a choice. Don’t get me wrong a chronic illness that was very painful is not
an easy to deal with issue. However I decided after the diagnosis and reflecting
on choices that it was better to be happy in life than bitter.
I don’t like having to fight cancer. Yet if you don’t fight
how you going to live with the circumstances if things don’t work out? So, the old expression my grandparents used
from England “In for a penny in for a pound” came to mind. In other words if I
was going to fight a little why not fight a lot. So I decided to jump into the
deep end of the pond and develop several teams of care professionals to help me
fight for my life.
Note I said care professionals. Not health care
professionals. I had several types of care teams in place. That is another
column for another time. Let me leave you with the thought “how have you
allowed your present circumstances to define you? What are you doing to define
your current circumstances?
So, untill next time, Imagine Yourself with more Resiliency for
Life.
To book Michael or interview him you can contact him at:
Michael’s Social Media
includes:
