Words convey thoughts. Thoughts are were one places their focus. And, your focus, that impacts your outcomes in ways that you may not even recognize. When it comes to focus, the words that you use are very powerful.

My parents are two of the most optimistic and joyful people you will ever meet. Growing up, my mom did not allow us to say life was not fair. Her logic was that saying so means that you were wishing your problems onto another person, which is not right. My dad repeatedly told us that we were the luckiest people on earth. 

I always feel surreal using the word ‘hard’ even with my disability. Although my challenges are involved, I feel that my use of the word ‘hard’ disrespects the blessings in my life. After all, I was never bullied. I always had a good meal. I lived ten minutes away from the beach. Overall, I believe my life is amazing.

Unfortunately, there are times when my optimism is tested. Just like many people I feel emotions that are anything but optimistic. There have been times when I felt the weight of my disability and it’s impact on my life. These were my less than happiest moments. 

Being overwhelmed, being frustrated, being stressed are just negative emotions. Negative emotions need to be put into perspective. The goal is not to dismiss negative emotions. The goal is to put emotions into perspective and move on.

When you feel negative emotions, don’t dismiss them. Negative emotions tell you that something is wrong or something needs to be addressed. These are real and I don’t tell anybody how to feel. In the same way, I don’t like anybody telling me how to feel about my disability.

I have learned that in order to make strides in life it is necessary to recognize the impact of emotions on decision-making. It is important to feel your emotions, then decided to react to them.