Are you brave enough to accept that you are different?

Richard Branson recently spoke with the Washington Post about overcoming personal obstacles and turning disadvantages into advantages. I hit some of my own obstacles last night, struggling with what my MS future looks like, how dismal it may become. I woke up this morning and read a brief article about turning negatives into positives, written by a gentleman who struggled with dyslexia to later become a billionaire.

"Turn a disadvantage into an advantage"
Sir Richard Branson
photo credit: Stephen Chernin

Here’s a quote from the article featured on Richard Branson’s blog on virgin.com.

“Whatever personal challenge you have to overcome, you must be brave enough to accept that you are different. You must have the courage to trust your instincts and be ready to question what other people don't. If you do that, you can seize opportunities that others would miss. Believe in yourself, and use everything you can - including the obstacles - to propel you along the road to success. Who knows what you might achieve?”

Richard’s words served as a reminder for me that, yes, while I am brave enough to accept that I am different, I still struggle a bit with identifying the opportunities to help me succeed. How do I do this? How will I recognize them when they surface? Perhaps this is something for me to contemplate in 2013.

In the meanwhile, how about you? What obstacle did you overcome this past year and what were you able to achieve because of it? I’d love to hear from you.

Happy New Year everyone!

Best always,

Christie

P.S. click here to read Sir Richard's full blog post

Have you seen Healthline for MS?

My buddy Cathy over at Healthline wrote up this post. When you have a moment, check out their site. It's filled with great information. Hope you're well and remembering to rest and breathe this holiday season! 

From Cathy Chester, Adminstrator/Writer: Healthline for Multiple Sclerosis

'Finding credible information on the web about Multiple Sclerosis can sometimes be challenging.  You need to find a website that is both reputable and informative. Healthline is the site you should read.  Their slogan is “The Internet site doctors prescribe most”, while their mission is to “improve health through information.”  What more could you ask for?  Healthline offers readers, “Objective, trustworthy, and accurate health information, guided by the principles of responsible journalism and publishing.” Their Facebook page is a large caring community of readers learning from Healthline’s articles, while forming relationships with one another through shared experiences.

This premier website has published their “Top 18 Multiple Sclerosis Blogs”.  It should come as no surprise that The Lesion Journals made this prestigious list.  Read what Healthline had to say:

“Christie Germans brings her MS story to the world in her stellar chronicles of life with a chronic illness. The Lesion Journals give voice to her experiences, emotions, and endeavors to live joyfully and actively with MS.”

“Join Christie in her efforts to find the fun in everything, and take solace in the sense of companionship and camaraderie her blog offers. Check out the latest entry in The Lesion Journals, connect with an online MS pal, and get a bit of inspiration for a miraculous MS life of your own!”

Congratulations to Christie and The Lesion Journals for her successful blog which represents Christie’s hard work, dedication, honesty and laughter about living a life with MS.  You are a true inspiration to all of us.  Thank you for all you do.'

Well, shucks. That was nice Cathy. Thank you. This kind of stuff makes me blush so now I am going to change the subject. You are invited to check out Cathy's work over on her blog: http://anempoweredspirit.com. Good reading.

Take care everyone,

Christie

The special powers of yellow mustard

I fight nausea all the time. It’s sometimes a precursor for the vertigo that I deal with every so often. It can last a few minutes or a few hours (the nausea, not the vertigo! Having vertigo for several hours would really complicate things and, not to mention, be utterly exhausting).

My sweetie takes very good care of me and recently sent me to work with a bag filled with two things: crackers and yellow mustard. Why? Eating generous amounts of yellow mustard eases nausea. Who knew? Apparently sailors and pregnant women.

Eat mustard to ease nausea

I learned of mustard’s special powers the last time I had a long bout of nausea. It was recommended to me that I spread a ton of the yellow stuff on bread and gobble it up. And gobble it up I did! Within a few moments, the nausea eased.

Now if only I had a small jar of mustard in my cycling jersey when I got hit with nausea the time before that, while out on a ride. Uber annoying! Nausea and riding your bike at ferocious speeds do not mix.

There’s no real evidence to prove that mustard is a true cure for nausea but it seems to work for me.  That’s evidence enough.

C.

Before I die I want to ________

Contemplating the meaning of life

This is the coolest project. It started off as an experiment nearly two years ago in New Orleans by an artist who was contemplating the meaning of life, deciphering what truly matters. And, she wanted to know what mattered to others. So she painted the side of an abandoned building with chalkboard paint, stenciled the words “Before I die I want to _________” and invited the public to pick up a piece of chalk and jot down their personal aspirations. Cool, right?

Now there’s a bunch all over the globe, 50+ walls in over 20 countries. There’s one in sunny San Diego and when I came upon it a couple of weeks ago I felt compelled to write something. What did I write? “Before I die I want to see a cure for MS.” Naturally.

Before I die I want to see a cure for MS

If you came across this wall, what would you write? What matters most to you? I’d love to hear from you and invite you to post on my blog. Simply fill in the blank, “Before I die I want to ____________”.

Take care of yourselves and I hope all is well.

Best always,

Christie

P.S. if you would like to read more about this amazing project, check it out here: Before I die I want to