The Promises You Keep

Whatever you are going through right now, I want you to know that it is only temporary. Life, illness, and the way it all unfolds is forever changing, so you can either let it make your thoughts run wild, and think unhappy things, or accept what is and step back, breathe, and focus on the present moment. 

In this podcast, I talk about how overthinking can create a feeling of dis-harmony and some techniques you can use to stay present. 

The link to my book mentioned can be found here bit.ly/promises31

or you can send me a direct message through Facebook to get a signed copy of my book ( US RESIDENTS ONLY ) 

https://bit.ly/DANNYCOHEN

It is a brand new month and a brand new day. Don't let last month's problems stop you from moving ahead with today's goals. Even though life might still seem tough, continue to focus on your goals and stay positive throughout. 

In this episode, I discuss acceptance and chronic illness. I also talk about my own personal journey with acceptance and how accepting each new day has helped me get through some of the toughest times. 

Links and websites discussed in this podcast 

Instagram page @thepromisesyoukeep 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/keeponkeepingonnow/

We all have a choice to either let our emotions run us or take control of our emotions. If you had a bad couple of days throughout the week, and they caused you to feel sad, bad, anxious, or upset, and then you had a few great days which made you feel happy, excited, hopeful, and content; you ultimately have the choice to choose which feeling you want to hold onto. 

Chronic illness has a way of making us feel a combination of things, and feeling good generally is not one of those things. But on the good days, we get a chance to focus on those things that we couldn't on the bad days, only if we allow ourselves to. Moving into the weekend, which will you choose to focus your energy on? The choice is yours. 

Have you ever had that moment in your life when life knocks you down? Living with chronic illness, It seems like that happens quite often.

There are those days when I feel like life has hit me with a fastball, and I don't want to get up, but I do. I don't allow the not-so-good days to keep me down and make me bitter; I instead let those days make me better. When we choose to wake up and not let our circumstances stop us, we start to feel better about the life that we have and the life that we were given. In 2013 I promised myself after my brain surgeries that although they didn't work, I wasn't going to let life keep me down. I would instead let my circumstances make me better, not bitter. I wanted to be grateful for the life that I had, and so I made myself the promise to be grateful every day regardless of what the day would bring. 

Seeing life through positive eyes doesn't mean that you ignore your problem; it means that you are acknowledging your problem and choosing to be happy anyway. 

Focus on being better, not bitter. 

If you are feeling lost, or in need of inspiration please check out my book here. I wrote these promises at a time when I felt lost, and I published them in 2017 to inspire others going through tough times.  bit.ly/promises31

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand," Randy Pausch. In life, we have two choices, we can either move through life and live it openly; loving full out and be grateful for every circumstance that is put in our way, or we can allow our circumstances to stop us from living and make us feel, hurt, hopeless, and unappreciative of the life we cannot change. 

In this episode, I talk about how Randy Pausch's book "The Last Lecture" helped change my perspective after having three unsuccessful brain surgeries in 2013 and made me realize how important the practice of gratitude really is when living through a chronic illness. I also talk about the importance of choosing to live life openly every day, whether living with a chronic illness or not will help you push forward instead of keeping you back. 

Links discussed in this podcast Randy Pausch 'The Last Lecture' My book, Keep on Keeping on, 31 Days. 31 Promises To Bring More Love, Passion, and Hope into Your Life 

The past is gone,  and you cannot get it back,  so why will you continue to let it cloud your vision for a better today?

I have learned that living with a chronic illness, the only moment that truly matters is the present moment.  If I had a seizure yesterday,  and if I felt a bit anxious yesterday,  that was yesterday too; this is today. And if for some reason I have some tough times today,  I am not carrying the burden of yesterday,  but I am only living for this moment, and I am thankful for it.

Anxiety,  depression,  and chronic illness all have their ways of trying to push you too far ahead or keep you too far behind. So take some time out, and appreciate what you have today,  and be compassionate with yourself.  Keep on keeping on, and have a great day, everyone.

Gratitude and anxiety are two separate emotions that can't be felt at the same time. When you allow yourself permission to bring more gratitude into your day, you will start to see that anxiety will soon start to disappear, and you will start being "here" instead of wanting to be "there." On this Monday promise yourself to choose gratitude, and let it lead you through your week. 

Life is never good 100% of the time, and living with a chronic illness life finding the good in life can seem even harder. We wake up, and we try to focus on the things that should make us feel happy, but then we realize that focus is the furthest thing from our minds. That is when it is best to just stop, breathe, and let go. 

I have found that once I stop, breathe, and let myself go, and just focus on the moment instead of the moments that life is throwing at me, it makes it easier for me to find the one thing good in the bad day that I may need to move forward. 

In this edition of the Promises, you keep podcast I share my one tip to help keep you focused, and find your peace in your beautiful mess. 

Living with chronic illness can be tough at times; as a matter of fact, it sucks! But I have learned over time that the more you tell yourself that something sucks, the more it is going to suck. Waking up after having a seizure sucks, having Cerebral Palsy, and being in pain sucks, and shunt revisions because your Hydrocephalic brain decided to clog up sucks! Overall Chronic illness, sucks. 

Chronic brain negativity is on the rise, creating the biggest illness of them all, ungratefulness. Most of us have missed the boat when it comes to seeing just how amazing it is to have a brain and aches and pains still. Being brain positive instead of brain negative is crucial when living with a chronic illness. It will allow us to see just how beautiful this mess we have is and be grateful for the moments that we have, even if sometimes they aren't the greatest. 

Today challenge yourself to be brain positive and be grateful for the chronically ill life you were blessed with.