The first step to being successful (at anything) is to begin loving yourself.
If you don't like who you are or the things you do, then you will never succeed (at anything). You will constantly judge yourself, be too hard on yourself and not give yourself enough credit for the things you do right or well. I have learned this, the hard way over the last two years. With scleroderma, to love yourself or not love yourself, really isn't an option. The minute you stop loving yourself, stop taking care of yourself, that's when the condition threatens to get worse, and therefore, it is NOT an option.
For me, loving myself means taking time off when I need it, working out when I feel up to it, eating better (though that's been hard), sleeping (alot) and being proud of all the little things I'm able to take care of on a day to day basis.
Have I had to let go of many of the things the "old me" used to do? Of course, but that's all part of the process. I have also learned to do things for me, not for others. In the sense that I don't have to please anybody, nobody has to give me a pat on the back and say "good job" for me to believe that I am truly doing a "good job." I don't need that anymore because I believe in me and the great future that lies ahead no matter what I choose to do or not do.
I thought that Scleroderma had robbed me of my dreams, and I still feel that some of them may not come to fruition, but my success as a human being is not dependent on that anymore. Dreams are dreams for a reason, they give me something to reach for, something to look forward to and my success is based not having achieved those dreams, but on the effort and hope I give and have to at least TRY and make them happen. (Can I get a Hallelujah?)
"If the road is rough/And the track is tough/Thinking you can/just ain't enough."
-Shel Silverstein
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