This week has been filled with numerous job applications, phone calls, LinkedIn profile updates, emails, and more job applications.
Along with job searching & marketing myself, my days have been filled pretty heavily with some deep thought and reflection.
Along with job searching & marketing myself, my days have been filled pretty heavily with some deep thought and reflection.
My quiet time this week has mainly focused on Thanksgiving. I've been really overwhelmed lately, but this week marks a 9 year milestone that has helped me decide to cut the negativity out of my life. I have countless things to be thankful for, so I've been praying especially hard this week that God would take my hand and help me change my point of view. Nobody likes a negative Nellie, so from this point forward I'm going to do my best to not be one. My goal is to take every setback as a lesson, and to be thankful for everything. I'm human though, so if you catch me being negative, call me on it!
Today, and every day, I'm thankful for tragedy.
trag·e·dy
noun
an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.
This week marks 9 years since my car accident which has got me thinking about many things, but mostly about how life can end at any second, so we need to make the most of it!
As you can see, it's by the Grace of God that I'm alive today. This week, I've realized how thankful I am for wrapping my car around a tree when I was 16 years old; these are just a few examples of what I'm thankful for:
1. My life.
2. My ability to walk. Being in a wheelchair was an incredible learning experience no matter how much I hated it at the time.
3. My pain. No matter how frustrating it can be, my chronic pain is something I've come to be especially thankful for. It's a daily reminder of how lucky I am to be alive.
4. My scars. I wouldn't change any of them for anything in the world. They are beautiful, plus they are a great way to tell kiddos how important seat belts are.
5. My mom. She is the strongest woman alive; God has blessed me so much more than I could ever explain by giving me her as a Mom.
6. My family. They are the best support system there is.
7. My friends. They are just wonderful.
8. The Cordova Dragway Staff; for being gentle and wonderful to my mom.
9. Scott Manon. Thank you for holding my hands and keeping me calm, you are a wonderful man and I will be forever grateful.
10. Volunteer Fire Fighters/EMS workers. I crashed my car at about 1:30am, so a 12-minute response for being in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night is amazing.
11. All the doctors/nurses that put me back together.
12. All the physical/occupational therapists that helped me realize my calling. Before my accident, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, after the accident I decided to go to school to be a physical therapist, which lead me to social work. I wouldn't give that up for anything. Not to mention, this led me to Clarke University where I met my other half, so I'm super thankful for this one :)
There are a million more things I'm thankful for, but I'm getting pretty wordy ;)
Walking with a walker isn't just for grandmas!
If you're still with me, I'd also like to share a few things I learned, these aren't as deep, but I'm sitting here smiling thinking about them, so whatev ;)
If you're still with me, I'd also like to share a few things I learned, these aren't as deep, but I'm sitting here smiling thinking about them, so whatev ;)
1. Getting on your Doctor's good side could cut your hospital stay significantly; batting my eyelashes got me out of the hospital in 12 days instead of the 4-6 weeks I could have been stuck in there ;)
2. Slacking off in Physical Therapy will get you nowhere, especially if your mom goes to every appointment and pushes you harder than the physical therapist.
3. Gaining 1 degree of movement in your knee, sounds like nothing, but is one of the best feelings there are.
4. If your nurse forgets to take you to therapy, push the call button, don't walk yourself; your nurse will get into trouble, and you will get scolded by your mom, doctor, physical therapist, and everyone else responsible for you.
5. Be nice to your nurses, they are amazing individuals.
6. If you freak out and cry before surgery, they will shoot you up & put you to sleep super quick.
7. If you refuse to eat the hospital patient food they will give you a cafeteria menu, which is much better, trust me.
8. Ben & Jerry's is the best ice cream around, even if you forget about it and transfer to a different hospital.
9. Tostitos & Cheese will forever be my favorite snack, even if I get called Tostito butt ;)
10. If you're tired while driving, PULL OVER. It's not worth it to drive. No one realized how tired I was, including me, but this lesson hit home & will stick with me forever.
10. If you're tired while driving, PULL OVER. It's not worth it to drive. No one realized how tired I was, including me, but this lesson hit home & will stick with me forever.
God has big plans for this lady, which means I have no time to be negative!
So, I've put my positive panties on and I'm ready to get this positivity train a rollin'! Today I'm starting the 100 Happy Days Challenge, I'd love it if you joined me!
#100happydays day 1! Pool Day!
XOXO,
S.
