Brain Injury / effort

A couple of adventurous twelve year old boys, Rick and I tried to cross the expansive marsh in mid-winter. An impossible summer cross due to deep holes of water and mud. In the winter the holes froze. With the water rising and falling it was impossible to have confidence in crossing the ice between the grass humps and ill defined islands. It appeared dangerous. Scary. Unsure. The cross was one step at a time. There was no turning back.

Our lives are almost solely based on effort. We look to achieve, to gain or lose something we dislike. We live our lives in an effort looking for change. More money, love, better things, lose weight. Effort is ongoing. We define ourselves by wanting or desiring change.

Having survived a Traumatic Brain Injury we use ongoing effort seeking change. With effort we seek who we were. With effort we look to diminish our suffering from our list of cognitive, physical and psychological changes.

No similarity between surviving a brain injury and crossing the mid-winter marsh. Or is there?

TBI change is difficult. The level of change we participate and suffer from is as versatile as being born. Where we are born. Where we live. What we have available. What we have for insurance. The level of help that is available for us. Which is radically different for us all. How do we survive?

Based on experience, on learning, on observing, I find that slowing things down helps. When we live today and like breathing become aware that yesterday is yesterday. Tomorrow has not yet arrived. TBI works like an enemy. We can learn by observing our labeled enemy. As we seek and work at improving the beat down of TBI I observe and have seen that slowing down is helpful.

Yes! Work hard! But accept today as it is. It is! Our wanting to return to where we no longer are is natural but it is not as natural as nature. It is mind. It IS difficult. Accepting may as TBI survivors use a beneficial medication. Use it! It may lead us towards assistance in finding this comforting tribe/family or a good day.

Do you experience things differently? Is my view too radical?

Let's talk.