As we begin the New Year it is a time to reflect back on the old. This is a perfect time to take a close look at what worked and what did not work regarding our personal pain experience and its treatment.

For me, one important part is to perform a self-check and ask some hard, yet frank questions.

• How positive was my outlook?
• Did I work hard to live my life to the fullest by moving forward and facing challenges?
• Did I allow myself to be weighed down by dwelling on negative events that interfere with living life to the fullest?

Living a life with pain is not an easy life. It takes its toll on every aspect of living. However, it is how we choose to deal with our pain and treatments that has the greatest impact on our daily lives.

So you might ask: How can I stay positive while living with pain?

For me it is easier to think and be positive then it is to be depressed and sour on life. I am a natural warrior. I fight hard not to allow myself to live in negative feelings or around those who are negative influences. I don’t want to live that way and I don’t want those feelings to rub off on my family and friends.

Yes, I admit that some days are harder than others. What helps me is finding the right combination: friends, family, hobbies, crafts and volunteer work. I surround myself with the things that influence me to stay the course of a positive outlook.

Tip #1: Be selective about the qualities of the people you choose to be around you. A true friend or valued family member should be willing to be open and honest when sharing their impressions. They should be able to appreciate the variety challenges you face while living with pain. Ideally, they serve as one of your life coaches who help you stay positively focused. Hopefully, they are proud of you as they witness the hard work face during this challenging journey and may remind you of this when you are struggling.  In those times of need, they remind you of your strengths and your bravery, not coddle, patronize or abandon you.

Be brave and be bold. Reach out to them and let them know that you are feeling down. Ask them to help you talk it through and invite them in. Give them chance to help you regain a positive focus. It really doesn’t take much to leave the negative behind and certainly feels better once it is done.

Tip #2: Find a hobby, craft or volunteer work that you enjoy; it is a wonderful way to stay upbeat. Activities like these help take your mind off of the pain and your focus on something meaningful or pleasurable. It doesn’t have to be something extreme, a paint-by-number picture, scrapbooking, ceramics painting, knitting, sewing, reading, the list goes on and on.  Experiment until you find the ones you enjoy—then, allow yourself to enjoy it.

Volunteer work can be an amazing way to stay positive. By helping others, you help yourself. The time I spend volunteering in the world of pain, is without doubt some of my most content and positive periods of the day. It allows me to step away from myself and my pain issues. It allows me to focus for helping others and I want to make sure I am giving all 100% of myself to the task at hand. In order to that, I must be positive, I must show and share with others that it is ok to feel positive and live with pain. It is ok to be happy and live with pain. It is ok to enjoy hobbies & crafts and live with pain. Just because we live pain does not mean our lives have to stop being fun and we have to stop having adventures and being positive.

So as this year comes to a close, let’s step back for a moment. Find a quiet place where you can be with your thoughts and look back and see how you can make the journey of pain more positive for yourself. Write them down, so you can re-visit those thoughts again when needed.

Another fresh New Year is here…..let’s banish the negative and bring on the positive!  This New Year brings with it the opportunity to create a new chapter of your life. May they be filled with positive and happy stories.

Happy New Year!