Overcoming Our Problems with the Help of some P's

As many of you have noticed I haven’t written on the blog in a couple days. To be frank, the reason for this is I haven’t had anything to write about. You see the weather creates this little mini isolation “prison” for me in my apartment. How does it do that you may ask? Well first off, this time of year people don’t take care of themselves and there is a plethora of airborne illness floating around in the air as people cough and sneeze, most people don’t cover their mouths. So this provides quite a risk to my health with the immune suppression I am on. The second contributing factor has been the weather. It has been downright crappy. I don’t go out in the raining, cold, or snowy weather just because I again don’t want to take the chance of getting sick. Since I got my photography gloves Tuesday and was all stoked to get some pictures this week, it has literally rained and snowed all week.

You can see the pattern in what drives my behavior and activities right now, minimizing my chances for illness. Secondary illnesses are the leading cause of death in post transplant patients, so I stay extra cautious. No way I am going to have gone through hell and back in my chemotherapy and radiation to beat my cancer only to be taken out by someone else’s illness. So the prison is self imposed but doctor recommended.

As the weather gets nicer and I am able to go for walks it is easier to find inspirations but when you are in the same tiny box each and every day you run out of things to write about ;)

You are probably thinking how on earth does one not go crazy in this situation. Well first hobbies help but just like the past few days they can even get beaten down. The true secret is maintaining your positive attitude. I did a post awhile ago detailing my steps for keeping a positive attitude when going through a personal disaster, The 4 P’s of Positivity. In it I outlined four steps that help us maintain or achieve our positive outlook at the worst of times. If you remember they were:

• Peace
• Perspective
• Passion
• Purpose

Most people took this tool for how I presented it, to be used only in personal disasters, but this wonderful tool can be used in so many situations other than helping overcome our worst nightmares. In fact, I have been employing it in my present situation to keep my outlook positive.

So I thought I would go through a series of posts outlining how I have used each P to maintain my positive mindset. Who knows, maybe it might help you with a situation you are having where you need help getting to that positive mindset.

I am actually going to start with the first step, PEACE, today. Only because in a smaller scale situation like mine it is not very involved step. When we were looking at it in regards to life altering events this was a huge step in the process because so many emotions were involved. With smaller problems like myself imposed prison, the only thing you can really do to achieve Peace is acceptance of your situation.
I accepted when I got out of the hospital that I was going to be uber cautious in my recovery so as not to have any setbacks. Amy and I made the agreement in Day 1 of my journey well over a year ago that we would do everything right the first time no matter how it affected our lives. Knowing that I have to live the way I do while on my immunesuppressant has made it easy for me to accept my situation and make peace with it. I know the situation will get better as the root of what is causing my prison disappears, the immunosuppressants.

For anyone looking to find Peace in their situation so they can continue using the 4 P’s to help achieve their positive mindset, the first step is determining the root of what is causing your problem. You don’t have to try and change the root right away, just accept its existence in your life. Once you have accepted it, you will automatically begin making Peace with it. You don’t have to try and change the root right now, as we move through the steps they will help you with this change. Our goal at the beginning is just to identify the root of our unhappiness, accept its existence in our lives and make peace with it being there.

Many may be saying this sounds like it will be hard, this is only the first step of four. Why put in this much work to achieve a positive mindset for the smaller things. Well my answer is, you don’t have to do anything…..but you should :)

Sure it is going to be hard, and require self reflection and growth. But what in life that is worthwhile isn’t hard to achieve? The question I would ask back is why you wouldn’t do it. Living life positively creates happiness in our lives, and what could be better than that.

My next post I will discuss how I have achieved the second P, Perspective, in my situation.

Why doesn’t each of you play along and use these posts to help with a situation you are each having. I am sure each of you has something small or big that is making you unhappy. We have the weekend for you to make peace with your situation and start finding your perspective.

I would love to hear how you have achieved Peace in your present situations.


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