I went to a job interview recently and they asked me what my hobbies are.
Trying to think at lightning speed I thought about what I have done with my free “Casey time” that week. So I said,
“I’m a crossfitter and a long distance runner….”
Well, I’ve been a crossfitter on and off for the last year and a half, and I do consider it a wonderful hobby. But the long distance running part threw me a little bit. Was I a long distance runner? Sure my average run is a 5k. But is that long distance running? And if it is, do I do it enough to be a hobby.
The following week I went outside to go for a run and decided to run 4 miles…. A whole extra mile than usual, I’m a long distance runner right? NO sweat. I KILLED IT. I was exhausted, but I. Ran. 4. Stinking. Miles.
This got me thinking about terminology. I said, I’m a long distance runner. Once I believed that statement, it was truth, and I did it. Then I thought about diabetes. I’ve heard a lot of people say, “MY DIABETES”. A form of owning it. But not a healthy form of owning it. Diabetes, endometriosis, IBS, PCOS, gastroparesis, hypothyroidism, addison's disease, are a part of me sure, but they are NOT MINE. As I’ve said so many times our bodies are not made to function in disease, we are supposed to function without disease. SO why would I choose to make them MINE? MY DIABETES, MY ENDOMETRIOSIS.
I don’t want ANY OF THOSE THINGS, SO I’M NOT GOING TO CLAIM THEM.
Instead say, “I have diabetes”. This separates it from being a part of you. You HAVE it, you are in control. With most of these conditions we push for a cure, we cling to the hope that we will, someday, NO LONGER HAVE THEM. This day is long in coming and waiting for it sometimes feels full of despair. But do not lose hope and don’t let the depression and hopelessness make you claim something that only harms you.
OWNING IT. Own your family, your friends, your exercise, your hobbies, your schooling. CONTROL diabetes. Control endometriosis. Control depression. Control lupus. You won’t always be able to control the symptom, instead control the way you feel about them. Own the positive, control the negative. You’ve got this:)
