Recovery is a very challenging and anxious process, but I found that the key to it is your attitude. Let me tell you a story of how I came to this realization.
In 2008, I received a call on a Friday night from a family asking me to visit a young man at St. Mary’s Medical Center. This man, who was a client in a past case, was involved in a very serious car accident. His legs were crushed badly, and they needed to be removed through surgery.
When I visited him, I was anxious and afraid of what I was going to encounter. But to my surprise, he smiled and the first thing he said was a joke, “Boy, I really hope my case has legs.” Then he pulled me close and whispered, “This is going to be okay. I’m going to make the most of this. This is what my maker intended for me.”
I was blown away. And that’s when I realized that your attitude will create a big impact on how you recover from a serious injury. The critical question that you need to ask yourself is: “will I let my injury destroy me or will I overcome it?”
The fight to recover from a serious injury is lonely, painful, and slow. There will be countless times you want to give up and just wallow in the unfortunate event that changed your life for good. But it’s your choice how you react to the situation and what you’re going to make out of it.
Having a good, accepting, and positive attitude is the secret to your recovery. You define how the process is going to be for you — whether you remain devastated about it or you relish and rejoice in the incremental progress.
“Dying is easy, young man. Living is harder.”
-George Washington in Hamilton.
