attitude is everything

the pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
-winston churchill

disclaimer: you won't appreciate this rant if you're a pessimist.

i understand that everyone's perspective on problems is relative to their own experiences. i also don't expect everyone to have or understand optimism during tough times, especially cancer (i totally understand that cancer sucks), and i will never act as though i have a better way of dealing with things...it's just the way i do it.

what i don't understand is why some individuals consistently choose to focus on the struggles instead of the opportunities...and why these individuals choose to always share their frustration with everyone else. i certainly have days when i feel like everything sucks...i feel sick, i focus on cancer a little more than i'd like to, and i just wish this was not really a reality...but, i never feel like it will last forever, i never feel sorry for myself, like the world's out to get me, or that anyone else should drop everything they're doing to focus on it. why? because i know that everyone has their own struggles. at this point in my life, mine is cancer, and i know the seriousness of it, i just choose not to live life around that. i feel like it's just the hand i've been dealt and i do what i have to do to get through it. just like everyone else.

this is why i think attitude is everything. it's not the size of your struggle, but the way in which you choose to face it. before cancer, i had the typical fear of the "c word" and all that was associated with it. now, while i certainley appreciate the fear, i realize it's not very different than the struggles i faced before...it just requires a little extra will to get through it, but it's the same approach as always...see the opportunity, make the most of it, and move on.

that said, i think everyone should identify their struggles, the emotions that come with it, and embrace it. life throws stuff at us every day that we don't always think we can handle. we can, if we choose to think that way. i wish everyone would realize that...we can face anything that's thrown at us. it's not always easy, but it's not supposed to be. easy things don't challenge us, scare us, and force us to really shake everything up and let it settle again in a new and different way. it's a process. and if you choose the right attitude, it's really quite a wonderful experience.