How's this for inspiration

[Worrier]

Well I just wanted to share something that I saw on TV last night and it made me realise that we all need to look at what is possible.

Tony Robbins is a self-help author and motivational speaker who has been helping people for 30+ years reach their full potential and achieve what seemed the impossible. He has a new TV show here in the States called Breakthrough and I was very moved by last nights episode.

A young couple got married in Mexico about 18 months ago and at the wedding the new husband jumped into a swimming pool, hit his head, broke his neck and became a Quadraplegic on his wedding day. Of course their life changed forever. They both were left with a sense of helplessness and that their lives were pretty much over. So, with the help of this show, they both went skydiving and did some other incredible things that they now thought were not possible.

I guess what I am trying to say is that sometimes we get sucked in by all the bad stuff, the anxiety, the panic, the agoraphobia, whatever it may be, but there is always hope, you just have to find a way. Our dreams and hopes for the future can stay alive and be achieved.

I am not in any way belittling the fact that some people can't go out or are incapacitated by their fears/phobia's/ocd and other things, I know how that is and have experienced it first hand, but we do have to dig deep to find the strength within to continue on our path, whatever that may be, and live life to the fullest even sometimes with limitations.

At the end of the episode, it put my life into perspective, I have a house, a job, a great husband but I also live with Health Anxiety but my life is still great. The HA will not stop me from doing things, it may impede me sometimes, but I will not let it rule my life.

Anyway, I hope this story can be of some small inspiration to some of you who may otherwise feel that the "normal" life you so desperately seek, may never be found.

Take care
Natalie x

[Going home]

What a great post and so true. I think we sometimes make the mistake of wanting our lives and our health to be 100% perfect, but that's not possible. In particular, people with health anxiety strive for a body without any kind of ache or pain...the slightest creak and we ask for constant reassurance, going from doctor to doctor and from test to test, forgetting that even people without health anxiety feel pain too.

Best wishes
Anna xxx

[shinderuko]

There was a man on the bus today who was badly disabled and in a wheelchair but him and his mate were laughing away for the whole journey. He had the sort of smile where you can see it in a persons eyes, a genuine happiness. It made me wonder what I had to be down about.

[Worrier]

Glad you guys liked this story, I can't wait to see what next week's episode brings, but I am sure it will make me humble and wonder what I have to worry/stress about. Life is so short and precious and we have only one chance at it, so it just makes me realise that we need to make the most of everyday.

I brought a really neat stone picture frame the other day with the words - Life is not about counting the years, but about making the years count. I try to look at it everyday and be inspired to do something extra, even if I don't feel like it.

I will update after next week's show to try and bring more inspiration to this forum.

Take care
Natalie xx