Acceptance.

Accepting change can be difficult especially when it affects your current lifestyle whether it be physical, mental or both. Illness often changes our lifestyle’s dramatically, like a stroke for example. Stroke’s are cruel, my Nan suffered a stroke and all she could say was no, she lost all her independence in terms of mobility. She could not accept what had happened to her and I have to say I don’t blame her at all.

When I woke up from my three-month coma after my fight with Anti NMDA Receptor Encephalitis I couldn’t talk or move. I had never felt so helpless I was trying to talk to my family but I made no noise mainly because there was a hole in my windpipe from where my tracheostomy had been. I hated the fact I had lost all control but I could hear the doctors and nurses telling me my movement and speech would come back.  This gave me hope, as my recovery progressed I started thinking more and more about what I had lost, relationships had broken down, I was never going to play sports again, I just couldn’t accept it, what was I going to do?

“Once we accept our limits,

We go beyond them”

Albert Einstein

My dad kept telling me there was no point in thinking about the past and what I had because It wouldn’t change anything. So I started focussing on what I had gained which was a fresh perspective on life and what really matters. I looked for positives to the situation anywhere I could, right now is a good example as I’m blogging and writing I have more time to do this and share my experience and help other people going through hardship. I have found less is more, we are not the sum of our possessions but rather we are what we contribute to society and the world. I have got rid a lot of possessions and this has helped me and gave me a clearer mind. I have so much more time to appreciate the art of the world around me like tree’s and there eternal majesty. Tree’s hold such a dear place in my heart, there was a huge oak tree at my primary school and whenever I see it I remember all the fun times I had as a child around it, playing football, digging for fossils that weren’t there and it brings a smile to my face. I think everyone has a something like that they can appreciate for free and think about with joy. Another reason its special to me is I had an acorn from that tree and now I have my own very small oak tree in a pot in my garden.

Accept change and try to see positives and how these difficult changes are actually making you a stronger human being. Go outside, enjoy the sunshine, have a glass of water and live life to the full!

Adam Cowan