Dude ! You got a bad attitude !

You got a bad attitude dude

Hi everyone! I hope you are all well !

I've had a revelation in recent weeks. As many of you know, I've been making a series of short films titled "A Decade Decayed", (click here to access) about my experience of facing and fighting cancer and Chronic Pain Syndrome (CPS) and the process of making those films has brought up some uncomfortable realisations.

I'm often nowhere near as positive and upbeat as I should be. I have so much going for me - I have survived 10 years of fighting leukaemia and CPS, I can still get out on the golf course, I can still get out on my bike, I can walk, visit friends and so on.

Yes - I also have a few challenges - Yes, most of my life is spent in moderate or severe pain; Yes, I struggle with fatigue and 'muscle tiredness'; Yes sometimes I struggle to get around easily; and Yes - I struggle to speak coherently and it takes me one hour to make a minute of coherent speech on the films. Yes I'm getting more forgetful and absent minded.

But so what? So do millions of other people - and millions more go through much worse. Are my challenges really cause - or justification - for wallowing in my own misery?

I've talked before about "putting on a mask of cheerfulness" when I walk outside my front door. But when we analyse that process: Isn't that nothing more than simply changing my attitude from one of being fed-up with the health situation into one of being cheerful and happy? Is it simply a choice of changing my attitude?

Attitude is so important in facing challenges (whether they are health-related or anything else). Is it simply a choice to decide whether I'm going to be cheerful or miserable, irrespective of how the health situation is making me feel on any given day?

Like so many things - yes and no. It's not a simple answer.

Those who have faced challenges like cancer, CPS or similar will tell you that there are days when all you can do is curl up in a ball, or sit in your most comfortable position (if you can even find one)and just get through the day. On those days, the choice of cheerfulness is not yours to make. The pain makes the determination. You are not in control.

But there are other days when the pain is bad, but you can still function to a reasonable extent. On these days, it can be easy to just slide into misery (and let's be honest, sometimes a pity party does come with a degree of guilty pleasure...). But equally, we could also decide to go to a different party - a happy happening instead of a pity party.

There are those who give up after receiving a difficult diagnosis and there are those who (consciously or otherwise) decide to fight. It's not a choice about whether to live or die - that decision is beyond you now. But it is a choice to decide how the rest of my life will be lived. Will I choose to put a smile on my face and brave the world - Or will I shrink into the background, grumpy and defeated?

It's a choice. Attitude is everything.

It's World Cancer Day today (February 4th 2025) and for all those, and their families/loved ones who are fighting any kind of battle, my love, positive thoughts and compassionate encouragement are with you constantly.

This is not a meaningless slogan. It is the perfect description of my attitude:

Stay strong. Fight hard. Laugh lots.