30 Day Chronic Illness Challenge: Day 16

Day 16: What's your favourite inspirational quote?

(Anybody any idea what the heart on the fence is about? Good, glad it's not just me.)

I think I first came across the quote in a film as a teenager, and it took me a long time to come to the realisation that it not only applied to other people, but to yourself also.

I often think (speaking as someone who was a neurotically insecure teenager) that we’re our own worst enemies in this regard. Human nature often dictates that out of one hundred experiences, we’ll ignore the ninety-nine positives in favour of paying attention to the one negative one. I definitely possessed an unparalleled ability to talk myself into believing this sort of thing. It’s taken me until recent years to discover that I’m just as capable of flipping the coin and arguing the other side of the issue.

Whilst you have the power to not let what other people say affect you and make you feel inferior, you also have the power to stop yourself perpetuating the problem. This certainly applies to the chronic illness experience as I know I’ve been guilty of allowing myself to be convinced it’s all my fault and spiralled downwards from there. However, I don’t allow myself to do it any more.

Time we were a bit kinder to ourselves, I think.

Although I must admit in passing it's not my absolute favourite quote. That one is from A Knight's Tale, which as gleefully anachronistic historical comedy goes is hard to beat in my book. It makes no sense out of context, so you'll have to take my word for it that it's funny. Better still - go watch the film!

(Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer: The Lily Among the Thorns
Image from cinelstudio.com) 

 

"Yes I lied, I'm a writer - I give the truth scope!"