to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy... WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND APPRECIATIONS?

"There are four needs in all people: to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy. Every action we take creates a bid of the legacy we are leaving."-Stephen R. Covey 

SO MY FRIENDS MANY OF YOU ARE BATTLING I KNOW. I GET IT BELIEVE ME. SOMETIMES IT'S SO HARD TO REMEMBER WHY WE FIGHT. WHAT IS IT ALL FOR? IS IT WORTH IT? I SAY YES! YES IT IS. YOU DID NOT COME THIS FAR TO GIVE UP; TO THROW IN THE TOWEL. NO. THAT IS NOT PART OF OUR PLAN OR THE PATH WE ARE DESTINES FOR. WE ARE DESTINES FOR GREATNESS - FOR A WIN! IT WILL HAPPEN. WE WILL GET BETTER - MAYBE NOT CURED BUT BETTER? ABSOLUTELY!!!

TODAY I FOCUS ON FOUR THINGS. FOUR WAYS TO BE GREAT DESPITE DISEASE. # 1. I NEED TO LIVE... NOT JUST STAY ALIVE. LIVING IS MORE THEN SURVIVING. IT IS BATTLING HARD EVERYDAY. IT IS LAUGHING AND LOVING. IT IS GAINING NOT LOSING. IT IS ALLOWING MYSELF TIME TO CRY AND THEN PICKING MYSELF UP AND BEGINNING AGAIN. IT IS REMEMBERING THE BLESSING OF THIS LIFE. IT IS SHARING WITH YOU HERE. IT IS CONTACTING FRIENDS AND FAMILY. IT IS SAYING "THANK YOU" AND FEELING GRATITUDE. IT IS MIND OVER MATTER. THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE WITH LYME.

#2 I LOVE. I LOVE MYSELF AND DEMONSTRATE THIS BY MAKING DECISIONS THAT LEAD TO HEALTHY HAPPY TOMORROWS. I LOVE OTHERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO SUPPORT ME. I LOVE OTHER LYMIES AND CHRONICALLY ILL READERS. I LOVE THE SUNRISE AND SUNSETS. I LOVE MY FAMILY. I LOVE INSPIRATION. I LOVE DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE. I LOVE LIFE EVEN WHEN IT IS DIFFICULT. I LOVE MYSELF DESPITE MY DISEASE!

# 3 I LEARN. I LEARN NEW THINGS EVERYDAY. I LEARN THAT I AM STRONG. I LEARN THAT YOU ARE STRONG. I LEARN THAT TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS - EVEN THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE. I LEARN NEW WAYS TO FIGHT LYME, TO SURVIVE, TO EDUCATE, AND MOTIVATE OTHERS. I LEARN THAT I AM NEVER ALONE. I LEARN THAT THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR. I LEARN THAT I HAVE MORE STRENGTH THEN I REALIZED. I LEARN THAT I CAN LIVE THROUGH ANYTHING. I LEARN THAT A BAD DAY DOES NOT MAKE A BAD LIFE. I LEARN THAT I AM SO MUCH MORE THEN MY SYMPTOMS AND DISEASE.

#4. I LEAVE A LEGACY. I BESTOW A GIFT TO OTHERS EVERY TIME I WRITE. I AM DOCUMENTING MY STRUGGLE AND THE THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO ME. I AM SHARING AND SPREADING INSPIRATION AND GOOD NEWS. I AM SPREADING THE WORD AND EDUCATING OTHERS. I WILL GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT. MY BATTLE IS MY OWN - IT IS PERSONAL - BUT MANY OF US SHARE THE SYMPTOMS AND FEELINGS THAT THIS LYME LIFE BRINGS. UNTIL THERE IS JUSTICE AND TRUTH FOR ALL OF US; UNTIL WE HAVE HONEST LYME GUIDELINES AND TREATMENT OPTIONS REGARDLESS OF OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION AND INSURANCE/HEALTH CARE COVERAGE THIS IS AN URGENT AND NEWSWORTHY TOPIC. THAT IS ANOTHER REASON I LIVE, ANOTHER REASON I LEARN, ANOTHER REASON I LOVE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE WHAT YOU BATTLE IS IMPORTANT. DO YOU FEEL WE NEED BETTER TREATMENT OPTIONS. DO YOU THINK YOUR STORY IS IMPORTANT? I HOPE SO. WE ALL MATTER. WE DESERVE BETTER. WE WILL LEAVE A LYME LEGACY TOGETHER OF HARD WORKING, TENACIOUS, HARDCORE AWESOMENESS! 

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JOIN ME IN THIS VENTURE - CARRY THE BANNER AND FIGHT ON MY FRIENDS! IF YOU EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM TOMORROW AND GREAT STRENGTH FROM YOURSELF THEN YOU ARE HALFWAY THERE!! YOU WILL NEVER GET MORE OUT OF THIS LIFE THEN YOU EXPECT. EXPECT GREAT THINGS. EXPECT CHANGE. EXPECT GOOD DAYS. EXPECT YOURSELF TO BE AMAZING! 

WHEN YOU ARE READY TRADE THAT EXPECTATION FOR SOMETHING EVEN BETTER - APPRECIATION. FOCUS ON YOUR GRATITUDE ATTITUDE. IF YOU CAN WALK BE GRATEFUL. IF YOU CAN TALK BE APPRECIATIVE. IF YOU ARE HERE WITH ME YOU ARE NOT ALONE - BE THANKFUL! WE ARE WARRIORS AND WE ARE AWESOME. BE WILLING TO BE BETTER. BE THANKFUL FOR TODAY AND HOPEFUL FOR TOMORROW. BE AMAZING! ABOVE ALL REMEMBER NOBODY DICTATES YOUR HOPE BUT YOU. NOBODY CAN TAKE AWAY YOUR RESOLVE. NO DISEASE CAN ROB YOU OF GRATITUDE UNLESS YOU GIVE IT FREELY. DON'T GIVE IT AWAY. HOLD TIGHT. ABOVE ALL BE WILLING TO FIGHT. BE EXCITED FOR THE DAY THE FIGHT IS A LITTLE EASIER. BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND KNOW YOU ARE DOING GREAT WORK EVEN IF NOBODY IS THERE TO WITNESS IT. YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND YOU HAVE NOT LOST! I WISH YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND HOPEFUL WEEKEND. Y'ALL COME BACK NOW YOU HEAR? PEACE, AUDREY