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Day 100 : Positivity | Positive 100 | Chronic Positivity Project

Day 100: Positivity

This is Day 100 of the Positive 100, a countdown to Rare Disease Day 2014 and an exercise in being positive despite it all.

When I started this, a few people thought I was ridiculous. That I was painting a world through rose colored glasses that ignored the reality of, well, reality. How can you always be positive when there are so many negatives? People said it just wasn’t possible. That I was delusional. That my desire to be positive was detrimental to myself and anyone who might stumble across the project.

They missed the point.

A few days ago, a friend shared a picture of a sign that said “…taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it’s more like a cha cha.” That, my friends, is pretty much my definition of positivity.

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Day 97 : Battle | Positive 100 | Chronic Positivity Project

Day 97: Battle

This is Day 97 of the Positive 100, a countdown to Rare Disease Day 2014 and an exercise in being positive despite it all.

Battle. War. Fight. These are the words we use to talk about surviving and coping with illness and disability. I often talk about my battle scars or how I struggle and fight. In the health arena, going to war is a good thing. It means you are present in your struggle and you haven’t given up hope.

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Day 93 : Mercy | Positive 100 | Chronic Positivity Project

Day 93: Mercy

This is Day 93 of the Positive 100, a countdown to Rare Disease Day 2014 and an exercise in being positive despite it all.

Mercy is defined as “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” Showing compassion for others and forgiveness can help lift your spirits. The act of forgiveness takes the power away from negative thoughts and emotions. Being mistreated or getting in to a fight can eat away at your spirits. When you forgive someone or show them mercy for their behavior, you’ve lightened both your loads.

Mercy is one of the greatest gifts we can give, other than love. Or maybe it is a byproduct of love. We show compassion when our friends and family are in need. We do it when we volunteer our time to help those who need it. We do it when we donate clothes and money. When you give that homeless guy your extra pair of gloves. Read more

Day 91 : Responsibility | Positive 100 | Chronic Positivity Project

Day 91: Responsibility

This is Day 91 of the Positive 100, a countdown to Rare Disease Day 2014 and an exercise in being positive despite it all.

What’s responsibility got to do with positivity? Absolutely everything.

Life is hard. Really hard. Really, really hard. We get older. Our bodies don’t work right. We have to work to live. We have schedules. Double booked girls nights. Winter weather commutes that triple in length. Bills due the day before payday.

It’s pretty easy to let those things control you. Saying that the universe is against you absolves you of the responsibility you have to yourself and your mental state. When you take responsibilty for the things in your life under your control, you have made a major leap towards positivity. When you take responsibility for your emotions and how you respond when the universe conspires to push you around, you have made it to the state of mind I strive to have. You have embraced positivity because you control your dark days. You have taken the time to be sad, frustrated, angry. You have felt the pain but you aren’t dwelling there because you know that your outlook is under your control.

Day 91 : Responsibility | Positive 100 | Chronic Positivity Project

This adorable black kitten is now a 22-pound sweetheart who thinks you were put on this planet to love him. And yes, Mr. Tiernan O’Cat (that’s Irish for Little Lord) is relevant.

This little rascal showed up in my life one summer afternoon when I was feeling pretty down and out. I was living three hours away from my family, friends and boyfriend. I lived alone and had no car. I barely made enough money to live on. I was in Chicago at least every other week for CRPS treatments of one kind or another. My job was rocky on the best of days.

I was flip flopping between wallowing and faking the most ludicrous optimistic attitude ever. I would come home from work, make dinner in a rice cooker and turn into a vegetable.

The universe hated me and I couldn’t see through it. I couldn’t see a way to be positive. And then this little guy came into my life when he was rescued from under my boss’s car. Mr. O’Cat was the first domino that led me to where I am now. This job. This project. This outlook.

I rescued him from the brutal outdoors. He got food and shelter. Medicine. And a few baths… It was as I started fixing his life that I started seeing that I could fix mine. I wasn’t destined to be miserable and it was my responsibility to chase the clouds away.

When did you take responsibility for your happiness? Share your answer on social media with the hashtag #100positivedays on TwitterInstagram and Google+.