How Adaptable Are You?

If you’ve been reading the blog you know that I travel for work.  I spent about four months in San Antonio last summer; and now I have the distinct pleasure of spending the winter in Buffalo, New York.  I wasn’t surprised by the weather, after all I went to college in upstate New York, but it has been some time and my memory of those gray snowy days obviously faded.

This past Wednesday I was off from work, a much-needed day of rest, and thought I’d run some errands and become more acquainted with the area.  Unfortunately we got a snow storm that kept me in the house a good part of the day.  As I watched the snow fall to the ground I stood at the window and decided to venture out and at least get the magazine at Barnes and Noble I’d been wanting to read.

I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, but there were a lot of people out on the road.  There were people in the stores, and business seemed to be as usual.  When I got back in my car I had one of those A-Ha moments.  I realized that when you live in this type of weather you’d have to adjust your thinking and your actions or you’d spend six months in your apartment waiting for sun and clear roads.

This got me thinking about  having a diagnosis of a chronic or other life-altering illness.  It made me wonder about how adaptable we are to our new circumstances.  I’m not talking about acceptance because that’s on a different level, more of an internal level.  I’m talking about practical adapting your life to your new diagnosis. 

Like I mentioned above with the snow I could spend six months in the house or decide to get out and brave the winter.  What do you need to get out and do?  What will you just decide to do that if you didn’t become more adaptable would leave you isolated or stuck in the house cut off from friends, family and the life you’re meant to live.

I understand that there are days just like when there’s a blizzard, that you can’t adjust to the circumstances.  However, I’m wondering what small adjustments you can make to get yourself on the road to living your life with your disease, instead of not living your life with your disease?

Let me know how adaptable you are and what you adapted to so we can share our strength.  Send your stories to me at greg@survivingstrong.com