Living with chronic pain touches every aspect of our lives. We all know how it interferes with everything we do from the time we wake up in the morning until we lay down at night to sleep.

So what is one thing that we can do that can help us get a head start to our day?

The right pair of shoes!

That’s right you heard me, the right pair of shoes. For many of us we have back and leg issues. Having the right pair of shoes can really make a difference in how we walk, how we move throughout our day.

For years I purchased discount store tennis shoes not realizing that I was doing more harm. I had a doctor ask me at appointment why I was not wearing a more supportive shoe. My answer, shoes are shoes.

He spent time explaining to me how the right pair of shoes could help lower and ease pain in my back and legs. I gave it much thought and decided to give it a try.

I went out and started my search for the right pair of shoes. I must have tried on every kind and every color and type of tennis shoes that are made in the world. It took trip after trip to this store and that store. I shopped local stores in my town and I even made a couple trips to stores in neighboring towns. All with the goal in mind to find the right pair of shoes.

I did finally find the perfect type of shoe that does help make a huge difference in how I walk and carry myself and they do help to lessen the pain in my legs and feet when I must be on my feet for long periods of time.

Now I realize that it seems this blog is all about the right pair of shoes and while it is true that shoes can and do make a difference with our pain. I began this blog talking about the right pair of shoes because it leads in to what we must do to take charge of our lives.

We must be in control of our happiest and our own well being, physically and mentally. Just like wearing the right pair of shoes makes a difference, being in a positive frame of mind can make each day of living with pain a day that we are in charge, not the pain.

Many will ask how someone can be positive when living with pain every day, 24/7, 365 days a year.  It isn’t something that we can learn to do overnight but it can be learned and it can be done.

Think about today.

• How did your day start out?
• Did you awake with stiffness and pain?
• Did you tell yourself that the day was ruined?
• Did you decide in the first 15 minutes that you were awake that today was going to be a bad day?
• If this sounds familiar, why?

There is another choice. You can say to yourself, “I will have my morning juice and coffee, read the newspaper and then see how the day looks after I give myself a chance to wake up and move around a bit”. You can live in the moment and cherish the simple things often taken for granted:

• The cheerful light of day
• The laugh of a loved one
• The taste of fresh coffee, tea or fruit juice
• The smell of toast
• The greeting from your cat or dog.

You see it is up to each one of us to decide how each day will be tackled. We have the power to make a good day or bad day. We have to power to be happy or sad. We have the power to fight or give up.

Just because we live our lives with chronic pain does not mean we have nothing to offer the world. We have much to offer to our families, friends, and community and to the world around us. We have things to accomplish and dreams to make come true.

I woke up with full body stiffness and pain this morning. I had my morning juice, checked the online newspaper and watched the morning news on the television. I checked my Facebook page, I visited The Pain Community’s live hosted chat and now I am ready to take on my day.

I will spend my day working around my home doing chores and advocating for people living with pain.

How did you wake up today?