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We are all going to die one day and we are all afraid of it
·
We all fear becoming seriously or terminally ill
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We all fear losing a loved one
·
We all fear the possibility of a family member or a loved one
becoming ill or dying
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We all fear losing our jobs
·
We all have some type of emotional or physical condition that we
have to live with. For some it’s a bad back, a bad neck, a bad knee, a chronic
condition, allergy, syndrome, IBS, Chrons, physical deformity, high blood
pressure, diabetes, and the list goes on. And if it’s not a physical issue,
it’s an emotional issue such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD,
etc. And if it’s not that, it could be addiction or substance abuse. And if not
that, it could be financial hardships. And for many it’s a combination of a few
of those. And that’s not even counting the terminal illnesses; I am only
referring to the illnesses that people have to live with for their entire
lives. And no one is immune to it. as happy as anyone seems, if you dig deep
enough you will discover the physical or emotional pain and/or fear that the
person lives with.
So we all either have something that we live
and deal with, and we all have fears. So what’s the difference between one
person and the next? No one had a perfect upbringing; no one has no emotional
or physical pain; no one is safe from ever becoming seriously ill; no one is
safe from death; no one is safe from ever losing a loved one. We are all
imperfect and we are all just as vulnerable. But somehow, some people look
happier than others; some are positive about life and some are negative about
life; some are depressed and others are not. If we’re all in the same boat,
then what’s the difference between the different outlooks various people have
about life? All things even, I’d rather join the group of happy people who
enjoy life, who live in the present, who see the good, who minimize the bad,
and who choose to live until they die, to be healthy until they get sick,
rather than to waste their entire lives dying a thousand deaths or worrying
about an illness that never comes, or trying to protect themselves from a
certain death, only to die in a completely unexpected way. If I’m in the same
boat as the rest of the world, I’d may as well enjoy the ride and be happy!
Before exploring this further, I must say that
another reality check is that now that it is established that everyone is
dealing with the same things and are in the same boat, not everyone who looks
happy and well-adjusted really is. Many people deal with their fears and
emotional pain, anxiety and worry by either drinking alcohol, taking excessive
prescription medications, and abusing illegal drugs, and many people simply
hide their feelings and put on a happy face while they deal with their fears
and anxieties inside. So even among the “happy” people class there are many who
are not as happy as it may appear. This further narrows down the pool of happy
people who really enjoy life despite all of the realities mentioned above.
That said, before continuing to work toward
joining the happy people, I must first list my advantages going in, all of
which I am extremely thankful for:
·
I am not addicted to any substances which would only complicate
the underlying issue, so whatever the issues are, they are what they are and
nothing more
·
I am not on any mood-altering medication or substance, so I can
always know what I am really feeling and address it accurately. This allows me
to:
o
Be spared any withdrawal/rebound symptoms
o
Know if what I’m doing is actually effective
o
Be able to proceed once something is dealt with, without having
the additional issue problem of weaning off of meds
·
Thankfully, I don’t have any debilitating, chronic pain
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Thankfully, I don’t have any debilitating emotional issues that
would affect my ability to get through the day, function, and enjoy my family
and my life.
·
Thankfully, I don’t have any serious illnesses
So that said, going in:
·
I am me as I am, under no influences whatsoever.
·
I don’t have any serious issues that need to be addressed.
·
Anything I do have, I’ve had before and it’s gone away.
·
The pain I do have, as bad as it is, is not life-altering or
really debilitating.
·
The pain I have is not constant and I know the cause and eventual
solution and management.
·
I know that the pain is not indicative of, nor is it likely to
result in, anything serious.
·
I have learned to not allow the pain to result in an anxiety
attack or to be blown out of proportion to what it really is.
·
I know that there is no one to call and nowhere to go – which at
one point made me feel helpless, but now makes me feel empowered to figure out
what it is, what the best way to manage and eliminate it is, and the best way
to prevent it in the future.
