Diabetes - finding the gratitude
- Nov 16, 2022
- 2 min read
Life always seems to throw those curved balls right when you least expect it...
My life changed dramatically during one summer holiday when I was only 11 years old.
My family and I were on holiday when I started feeling really unwell. I was rushed to the hospital, where I was told that I was now a Type 1 Diabetic.
I have to be honest; I didn't take it too well.
It's not easy to see your mates indulging in drinks and snacks to their heart's content when you know you shouldn't - but I did. I rebelled for far too long.
As with most things, it wasn't until later in life that I realised; things needed to change. I needed to get my diabetes under control and turn things around. I started to look at the reasons to be grateful for having diabetes. So I made a list...
I revisit this list regularly, and, to be honest, sometimes it changes.
Here is today's top 10:
Having diabetes allowed me to learn to listen to my body.
Having diabetes got me to learn about nutrition.
Having diabetes got me into lifting weights.
Having diabetes gives me a reason to constantly learn new theories and practices that could help improve people's health.
Having diabetes allows me to reach out and help people struggling with their condition.
Having diabetes allowed me to gain a better understanding of how a condition can affect you mentally.
Having diabetes makes me focus on myself - to make sure I am ok and able to give my best to others.
Having diabetes gave my whole family a Fast Pass for the queues at Disneyland (sadly, no more)!
Having diabetes gives me a chance to be a role model for my kids and show them how to keep healthy and look after themselves.
Having diabetes means I can get the advantage of adding insulin after a workout.
Finding gratitude in things is not always easy. But, if you can find it, the mind shift is amazing.
Turn what could be a negative into a positive.
Your mindset shifts.
You start to see that things happen 'for' you rather than 'to' you.
And that, my friends, is powerful stuff.