I have had people ask me why I use such aggressive terms as “fight” or “fierce”. It’s not that I’m advocating violence, I’m advocating empowerment. I’m not talking about fighting other people, I’m talking about fighting our illness. STOP blaming yourself or anyone else and focus that energy at the illness, spurring you on to get well. When I say, “you are fierce!”, I’m acknowledging the fight each of us face and the strength it takes to endure. I’m talking about taking the pain and the anger and using those emotions to motivate us to persevere.
When the pain overwhelms, fight!
When the depression drags you down, fight!
When the loneliness envelops you, fight!
When the anger wants to consume you, fight!
When despair is all you feel, fight!
When your own body betrays you, fight!
When you want to give up, fight!
Don’t let the pain define your reality. Even when it feels like it’s been there forever and there’s no end in sight, don’t give in to the pain, fight the pain.
When depression becomes a smothering wave of darkness that locks your body and your mind in numbness, fight the depression.
When those you love are absent, when they don’t understand your struggle, when their words of consolation can’t penetrate your heart, fight the loneliness.
When you get so angry at the state of your life, even when you’ve done all you can to change it, keep fighting the anger.
When the futility of all you’ve tried leaves you in a state of despair, when there seems like there are no other options and all you can do is cry, fight the despair.
When the chemicals in your brain defeat the reality of your life and looking at your life logically, realistically, becomes more than you can do, fight your body’s betrayal.
When you’ve fought, and fought, and fought, and you’re ready to give in and give up, fight.
Whatever you do, never give up, fight!