In the course of falling ill and becoming more and more sick, I have been belittled, invalidated, criticized, blamed, humiliated, abandoned, ignored, judged and directly attacked. Phew! This is the first time I've sat down and actually focused on what to call all the negative and difficult things I've experienced since finding out I have Lyme disease and talking about it openly.
Have I felt like doing all those things back to the people who have done it to me? You betcha! I mean I'm human and American right? Do I have a burning desire to hurt because I've been hurt? Most definitely. Would that be the right thing to do? No, of course not. As those of us who have taken the time and effort to think about it know, hate breeds hate, violence breeds violence, pain breeds pain, and abuse breeds abuse, and yes, all of the above italicized words are characteristics abuse. What does that mean? It means that on a very deep level, we live in a society in which the abuse of humans by other humans is rampant. What does THAT mean? Well, I happen to think it means the need for more and more and more actions to counteract the effects of this abusive nature, such as generosity, which I think is an aspect of compassion.
If negativity breeds negativity, what is the best way to nullify negativity? Positivity!
I am VERY excited to be starting this project today. I feel an inchoate spark of beauty inside, with the potential to grow and encapsulate my whole being. I feel boundless opportunity in participating in a community that is striving to change the world and, in particular, the parts of the world that cause us who have Lyme disease so much more pain than is necessary.
Now I leave you to your wonderful day of living with this last image....*a big fat smile on my happy happy face*
Interested in participating in the 29 Day Giving Challenge? Go here! http://givingchallenge.ning.com/
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