Today I want to share something with you something that is actually from my new book Rediscover YOU: Create More of What You Want in Your Life Despite Your Chronic Illness, but is applicable to all, even if you’re fortunate to be of great health.

In my book I talk about the five gifts of living with chronic illness; gifts that those of us who have health challenges learn exist pretty quickly, and gifts those without chronic illness often strive to have. The truth is, we all have them, we just might need to take some time to recognize them.

I write:

“You are gifted with the twin presence of Perseverance and Persistence (you’re now going to experience my personification of nouns; bear with me). Perseverance is always holding your hand. You get knocked down over and over again, and she puts out her hand and picks you up, and you keep going. Perseverance loves you!

You may feel you barely keep going, but if you reflect on your last few years haven’t you managed to keep a semblance of life despite it all? You’ve probably worked, or volunteered, or managed your household. Your kids are probably still getting their schooling and growing into the fabulous people you hoped you would birth into this world (despite their teenage years!).

Maybe your life is not up to your desired standards or what you would envisage for yourself had you been healthy, but you are carrying on regardless. You’re still here, even if “here” is in bed.

What if you were to invite Perseverance to support you to focus your attention on what you want outside of “getting healthy”? This might sound counter-intuitive, but sometimes we focus so much attention on getting healthy we forget to take advantage of the things that we can do despite ill health. I invite you to recognize Perseverance and consider how you might invite her into other areas of your life to support you to create more of what you want.

Then there’s Persistence. She teaches you to keep fighting for your quality of life. Persistence holds your hand whilst you run up against yet another symptom, yet another surgical procedure or yet another piece of bad news. Persistence teaches you that you’re strong and capable and that you will find a way. She helps you maintain quality of life, she guides you to just try one more pill, to just try one more therapy, to just try one more mad idea, that will occasionally change the game.

Persistence allows you to believe in your dreams and your own capabilities, she urges you on when the road is tough and prods you when you’re on the brink of giving up.

Anyone, who’s spent a few years in a medical system knows that things rarely go as you want or expect them to go. Just when you think you’ve got it all sussed something else happens to throw a spanner in your knowledge and send you through another steep learning curve. You will spend hours in waiting rooms, you will have to listen to too many ticking clocks (I seriously hate ticking clocks – I’ll write about that sometime), you will have to try more medications, you will suffer more symptoms, you will probably add another chronic illness or condition to your ever-growing list of diagnoses. You will unfortunately probably experience more bad times with your health.

Yet you will persist. Persistence is your friend and she isn’t going anywhere.”

If you live with a chronic illness I’m sure you can relate. If you don’t, I invite you to consider where Patience and Persistence might be showing up in your own life, or where in your life could you invite them to show up?

If you’d like to comment below with your answer, you are so welcome to, I love to have conversations with my readers.

All of my love,

PS: If you would like your very own copy of Rediscover YOU: Create More of What You Want in Your Life Despite Your Chronic Illness, or you’d like to purchase a copy for someone you know, you can do so here