Disability, Curse or Gift?

It was suggested to me to look at my disability as a gift given to have a chance doing what I am meant to.


This got me thinking, I usually look at all the things my disabilities have taken from me, such as an active social life, the ability to work and earn an income, the restrictions on my movement and consequently my lifestyle and so on.
But what if I was to do as this person suggested and turn it around and look at what the disability has given me. The opportunity to practice my photography, the time to get so much better at it, a mobile home to travel in (we only have this as it's to painful to sit in a car for long periods.) Freedom to travel as much as we want, when we want, to enjoy time with my husband, to understand others with chronic conditions and to be able to reach out and help them. A closer relationship with God as I have to rely on him 24/7 to get me through each day, real friends who have stood the test of time and an appreciation and gratefulness for the little things in life. 


So after doing this little exercise, it's up to me to decide if it's a blessing or a curse, it's all in the way we perceive it.

I am going to start focusing on the positives instead of the negatives and see if it helps my quality of life, will you join me??

Do we need Support networks?

What do you think, do you thing support networks are important?

I know that for myself, having a disease that a lot of people don't understand, that support groups or networks really help. Even if someone is just saying I hear you I know how you feel.

I wonder sometimes if the path we have to travel is to help us develop empathy for others. I know of people who have had very little suffering in their lives and they are often very unemphatic and I find others who have suffered so much and yet still have empathy for others suffering.

I have found I use Facebook and more often now Google+ to link up with others with similar conditions. Living in the counry there are no support groups where I live but via the internet I can get support and help.

Where have you found support for your issues?

We are all Disabled!

We are all disabled in some way, it is part of the human condition.

Please explain?.....

Disability does not have to be a physical thing we can see or a mental illness we can quantify, it can be emotional scars, chronic conditions, and much more.

Lets look at the definition of "disabled"

According to Wikapedia:
"A disability in humans may be physical, cognitive/mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these."

In plain English, a disability is something that affects the way we get along in society.

For example.When we see a blind person we automatically realize they have a disability, they usually have a cane or a guide dog to help them, but are they any more disabled than the person with emotional scars that no-one can see and that continually gets hit by the preverbial bus when it comes to realtionships.

If a person was physically hit by a bus we would see the damage, either as a fatality or serious physical injury, but what about the person hit by an emotional bus, we see them all the time, people constantly making poor choices and then lamenting about how bad things always happen to them. These people are just as disabled as the blind person,  in some cases more so, as they don't see they have a disability and take the necessary measures to compensate for it.

So why write a blog about it?

Because I believe that if we realize that we all have disabilities we will realize that people with obvious disabilities are no different than the rest of us. We are all people, all trying to get along in society the best we can. People with disabilities do not need to be condescended to or treated any different to anyone else, we are all in the same boat.

Also unless we realize we have a problem we can't treat it. How many people have we heard of have a disease but no symptoms until it's too late, but if it had been caught earlier it could have been cured.
The same goes for disabilities, as we recognize them we can take steps to either overcome them or learn to live with them in a productive way.

So the question is, "What disabilities do you have?"
Do you have allergies, a chronic illness, arthritis, chrones, pain, emotional scars from previous relationships, your upbringing, your religion, your nationality, over sensitivity, lack of emotional connection.....the list goes on and on.

Perhaps now is a good time to rethink those with disabilities and realize we are all the same. Next time you see someone with an obvious disability smile at them knowing you to have your disabilities, just not as obvious and may we all work towards a healthier life, physically, spiritually and mentally.

I have many disabilities and have found that nature is a wonderful healing balm and I receive that healing on a daily basis through my photography and immersing myself in nature. I realize many people cannot do this & so I have "Healing Art"  prints that you can have in your home or your office or even a care facility to enable you too, to experience the healing balm of nature.

I wish you peace, love and happiness....and remember for ALL of us healing is an ongoing process...be kind to yourself and others.