What? A tattoo? Have you gone mad? I can hear you thinking those thoughts, maybe even gasping out loud at the thought of getting a tattoo, but do you know what I’m referring to? The advertising age has brought us to the brink of slogans and tag lines. They have made these phrases part of our everyday vernacular and to top it all off, we use these sayings on a regular basis.
Why would someone with a chronic or life-altering illness get a tattoo? I’m not expecting you to really get a tattoo, but I am wondering what phrase, thought, or belief you hold as your motto. Think of the following phrases and see how they reflect on your own thoughts related to your current health status: “In it to win it”; “Bring it on”; “Knowledge is Power and Hope is everything”; “fighting on ever front”. These are all-powerful sayings and they catch your attention. Do any or all of them ring a bell for you?
Why do we create these phrases and slogans? Because they allow us in simple terms create a sense of purpose and active participation in our treatment. They create a mantra that we can say to ourselves over and over to remind ourselves that the next moment in time will be better. They give us a foundation upon which we build our personal life platforms. These words help provide meaning to the senseless experience of a chronic or life-altering illness.
The sayings are all positive thoughts. They provide each person with the catalyst to move forward toward an increased sense of control of their lives and steps toward improving quality of life. They are simple to remember, catchy, and can spread like wildfire so you can recruit people to support you with a simple phrase. It’s what unites people, your support team, to move toward health and healing.
What’s your motto? How does it help you cope with your current health status? What words of wisdom do you have that you’d like to shout from the rooftops? Think of this as your rooftop and let us in on the words you’d tattoo to instill hope!
Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 