Sorry that it's been a few weeks since I've posted a Weekly Inspiration post - crashes, family stuff, big news in the ME/CFS world - you know how it goes. Best laid plans and all....
So, I took some time this morning to watch some TED talks, which never fail to inspire me, and this one in particular caught my eye and then captured my spirit.
It's called Never, Ever Give Up and the speaker is Diana Nyad, the famous swimmer who broke all kinds of records and swam from Cuba to Florida at age 60. Now, you may be thinking, "What could a world-class, record-breaking athlete have to do with me who can barely walk around my own house?" I thought that, too, but she gives a talk that is engaging, funny, and yes, inspiring that applies just as well to us battling chronic illness as it does to athletes trying to achieve their dreams.
It's a short talk but very powerful (and entertaining as well):
I found her talk applicable to us in two ways. First, I thought of my own never-ending quest to find treatments that will help me to improve. I'm not delusional - I know there is no cure right now, and I am way past the point of most spontaneous recoveries (less than 5 years is the usual rule of thumb). But I have spent the past 12 years trying one treatment after another, reading studies, talking to my doctors, and trying anything that seems promising. I haven't found any one treatment that helps a lot, but I have found many treatments that help a little, and those small improvements add up over time, as evidenced by my improvement over the past few years so that I can now do more and have a better quality of life. So, Diana's motto of Never, Ever Give Up resonated with me in that way. I will keep trying new treatments and keep following and supporting the research and keep helping other people to do the same. I never stop trying, and I never stop hoping for a better tomorrow.
The other way that her talk resonated with me is from an emotional perspective rather than a physical one. To Never, Ever Give Up also means to never give up on being happy and finding joy in your life, in spite of your physical limitations. Sure, we all have times when we are down or depressed, but Never, Ever Give Up means to me that while we are trying new treatments and waiting for new research, we can be fully present in our lives and find small moments of joy in every day.
I hope you found Diana's talk as inspiring and entertaining as I did.
What does Never, Ever Give Up mean to you?
I have had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) since March 2002. Both of my sons also got ME/CFS at ages 6 and 10. Our younger son fully recovered after 10 years of mild illness. Our older son still has ME/CFS and also has Lyme disease plus two other tick infections. This blog is about how our family lives with chronic illness, with a focus on improving our conditions and enjoying our lives in spite of these challenges.
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