Why, yes.  Yes, it does.

#hopeliveshere

Affirm:  Hope Lives Here.

There are days – admittedly – where it feels like you’re drug through the dirt.  Where you are both the bug and the windshield.  Where the donkey kicks your hiney and then your teeth.  Where you step in poop and it sticks to your shoe, which happens to be a flip flop.

Ewwww.

I know I’ve been there.  Have you?

The tricky thing with RA is that holding onto those moments, those situations and those days actually causes more pain for us .. Know what I’m getting at?  That lovely f-word .. The flare word.

But how do you let go?  How do you move past?  How do you overcome?

Write this down in your journal: [action item]

Don’t hold onto anger.

Don’t chase past hurts.

Let pain expire.

Chasing hate, anger or frustration is like adding flame to the fire .. And that’s literal when you’re fighting rheumatoid arthritis.

Remove the incendiary component.

Put out the fire.

Journal: [action item]

I will not allow my life to be stolen by my hurt, my frustrations or my distractions.

I will live from a place where I accept life with JOY.

All that matters is this moment.

All that matters is where I am going.

Think about that.  Where are you going?

What do you want to do?  What imprint do you want to make on the world?  What legacy do you want to leave?

Journal about your legacy – what does that look like for you?  [action item]

I know, I know.  I’m making you work here, but it’s important.

Last thought…

Our past doesn’t dictate our future or our future choices.

Yes, to a certain extent, RA does dictate some of our choices.  But I think of them as making better choices.  We must take better care of ourselves and our bodies – and that’s a good thing.  We’re forced to understand our bodies; we’re forced to learn more about ourselves, we’re forced to pay attention.

I’ll take that any day, rather than simply living on autopilot.

Choice.

We have a choice each and every day.  To let pain expire.  To not chase past hurts.  To not hold onto anger.

Choose to hope.

Choose to never live on autopilot.

Choose your future.  How do you want to live?

#hopeliveshere