This is Day 23 of the Positive 100, a countdown to Rare Disease Day 2014 and an exercise in being positive despite it all.

There are so very many wise words out there. Words that help us navigate our paths. That help us see past our current troubles. That offer comfort when we are sad. I was torn if I wanted to share the wisdom of Dumbledore or Gandhi. Obama or Lincoln. Mother Theresa or MammaCakes. I decided none of them were quite right today.

I read somewhere that wisdom is nothing more than healed pain. That any wisdom we have gained, we have gained from some sort of trouble.

We can turn our wounds into wisdom. If we let our selves feel the pain. As much as positivity and having hope are important, knowing how the bad stuff feels is important too. It is how we know what the good is.

I am trying to turn my pain into a positive every day. I am trying to heal the wounds of broken nerves to find the wisdom. To spend each day learning from the last.

Share the positivity on Twitter, Instagram and Google+ with the hashtag #100positivedays. Also, you can sign up to be emailed a recap each week of the challenge.