TROOPS

Sometimes when people find out that my philosophy of life is to Thrive and not just Survive they sometimes believe this means I never get down or depressed. That couldn't be futher from the truth.

Just like everyone, I got through my times of ups and downs, and usually the ups wind a lot more than the downs. However, there are times when it seems like my life is just spiraling downhill and things are jumping from bad to worse. It's bad enough when it's an occasional outside occurance but I noticed during that time that my attitude can take amajor hit and I lose that inner joy that helps me over the hump.

It's during those times that I find I have to call in reinforcements, you know, "gather the troops" together so to speak. So when I say "troops' am I talking about people? Well, sometimes. In fact, when I'm so down I have to look up to see bottom it is always good if I can call on someone to remind me I'm not alone. However, in my lifetime, more times than not, there were not a lot of people I was comfortable turning to. So my troops took on a little different form.

For example, as a kid I used to spend a lot of times watching TV. I usually concentrated on the funny shows or, my favorite, good science fiction to take my mind away and let me know things were better someplace. (Even if that someplace was occasionally outer space.) As a became a teenager that turned to popular music of the 70s (which I still love, with a sprinkle or two of great movies. As a young adult, renting videos could get my mind off of a bad day (or week) and get my mind turned around. The secret for me was to just get me happy again. Because I knew that once i did that things just didn't seem so bad and soon after that downward spiral had begun turning up. Yes, calling in the troops has saved my sanity on numerous occasions.

Now, these days I still call in the troops when things get a bit overwhelming. However, my type of soldiers have improved in the last decade or so. My music has been turned into inspirational talk CDs, my old science fiction books have been replaced by self-help and positive thinking books, and most of my old movies has been replaced by a mentor who shows me not just tells me what to do.

Now don't get me wrong, ever so often I go visiting the old "veterans". They definitely still have life left in them. My criteria is simple. To be successful and stay successful in eerything I do the first thing I need to do is get happy and stay happy. And although being happy is a choice no matter the circumstances, sometimes getting a boost from an old friend can go a long way.

TNJS

TREMENDOUS

Charlie "Tremendous" Jones one of the pioneers in self-help once said something like, the only things that will make a positive difference in your life in the next 5 years can be boiled down to just two things: (1) The people you meet, and (2) The books you read.

I noticed that he didn't throw in the fact that a person needed "perfect vision" to make that positive change. However, when I took the time to reflect on my life as it stood a year ago I had to admit that it was true. I was exactly like the people I associated with on a constant basis (no worse but no better) and I was in the same mental place I was in since I had left college 3 years prior to that. Now don't get me wrong, I had grown considerably from where I was in 2001 but I had plateaued from graduation in 2005 until 2008. In fact, to be truthful, I had begun to slide back because the dreams I thought a college degree would bring me didn't turn out the way I thought it would either.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming any person or thing, just the man looking back from me in the mirror. In fact, it really wasn't blame as much as it was confusion. I could see people all around me who didn't seem to have any more "on the ball" then I did, and a lot of them I KNEW I had more education then they did, but they seem to be doing so much better. It was like they knew some great secret that I didn't know.

I have to admit it wasn't just frustrating, it was downright aggravating. The good news about that is, that for some reason all of my life when I really wanted something to change aggravation was always the starting point. I just had to get mad enough to change and brave enough to let go of some old habits and strike out in a different direction.

It was through these new feelings that I KNOW I was led to Rudy and it is also through the NEED to change that Rudy was able to lead me to an awesome DVD. It is called "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrnes.

This DVD pointed out some things to me that set me on the right path to begin to grow. And I haven't stopped yet. Since I've started changing over a year ago I have watched that DVD over and over, each time getting something new out of it. This small change seemed to open up additional space in my life and soon a flood of changing starting coming into my life. The DVD led to audio recordings and self-help books that have started "attracting" more and more good things in my life. But the true secret to it all is that my future is still in my hands. To take the responsibility every day to move forward to my goals and dreams. Yes, this new path has given me my hopes and dreams back and I KNOW if it can do this for me it can do it for anyone.

And this all came from being tired of where I was and NEEDING to change. I've posted the link to "The Secret" website, and I know if a person really wants to change I can't think of a better place to start. Life can be Tremendous for anyone willing to work at it every day!

I know this will help anyone who steps out with belief to Thrive not just Survive.

THRIVING

I've spent a lot of time on this earth and I have to admit that most of that time I have been in what I call survival mode. You know, getting up, going to work, coming home, going to bed, and during that time inserting meals and play when it seemed appropriate (and sometimes when it didn't). And when I looked around I noticed that I was no worse then the next man, but I had to admit that I wasn't any better or further along. I realized that I had gotten the surviving part down but not the thriving part. For a long time I didn't ever seem to be smart enough to ask why. About a year ago that all changed.

It was at that time when it seemed like I was just spinning in circles that I decided I was pretty tired of doing the same old thing over and over. The dreams I had thought about when I was a child had vanished one by one until I had nothing left to hope for. but something inside me still wanted more.

I now know that desire is what change my life. You see, it brought me to a man I look at as being my mentor today. His name is Rudy and through his teachings I learned that, if I was willing to put forth the effort, I could have anything I wanted.

Of course I've heard that before, but what made Rudy different is that he didn't just talk about it, or worse yet, teach it like a professor in a classroom, but he lived it and had been doing so for most of his life. He had the "fruit on his tree" so to speak. He let me know if I continued to do what I have always done that I would continue to get what I always got. His solution to ALL of my problems was simple. He told me if I wanted thrive instead of just survive that I only needed to do one simple thing. I needed to change!

I took him at his word and my life has never been the same. But that's another story.

Hope it Helps

RP

RP is a common abbreviation for Retinitis Pigmentosa

While the medical definition of RP is varied, in general, in many cases (mine included) it is a progressive, inherited, eye disorder which first shows up at a very early age as night blindness. Over the years it has progressed to slowly diminish my peripheral vision and depth perception.

I have been very fortunate even at the age of 50 I still can get around with the aid of my cane and public transportation and minimal aid from friends and family.

RP's symptoms usually progress differently depending on the person. For example, I've know some teenagers, I'm sorry to say, who have RP who have gone completely blind. While others maintained some vision past their 60s.

Over the years, I have found that one of the best way I have "survive and thrive" with RP is to be grateful for every day I have sight, and to never take what vision I have for granted.

In the future I plan on sharing other things I have learned throughout the life of this blog.

If you would be interested in a more clinical and detailed definition of Retinitis Pigmentosa, I suggest you go to www.google.com. I especially like the way Wikipedia explains things although their are plenty of areas there to explore.

In the meantime, if you have any questions that I can answer or comments to share I would appreciate it.

As always, I Hope this Helps.

TRICKED

The boy slowly climbed up the dark city stairs as part of a group made up of his mother, grandmother, and his four siblings. Although he had climbed similar steps all of his young life, things seem to be harder this evening. He soon found himself slipping back from his traditional third place in line bringing up the rear. He reasoned it was because of the plastic mask which obscured his vision was the culprit.

By the time he had made it to the door his older brothers and younger sister had already received their treats and dashed past him heading for the next house. His grandmother moved quickly past him her intentions on keeping up with them, while his mother followed, occupied with helping his baby brother with his small bag. He had lost track as to how long they had been out but if the weight of his candy bag was any indicator it had to be several hours. Although he had become tired, his enthusiasm for this once a year event (second only to Christmas) kept him moving up each set of steps of the row-house neighborhoods he lived in.

His determination to visit each house and his slow progression up and down the dark steps soon found him several houses behind his family but he wasn’t worried because he could still hear them. He reasoned that they had to be tired and were skipping houses and that’s why they were moving so quick. He smiled to himself since he would have more candy then all of them.

It wasn’t long after that he stepped onto the sidewalk that something seemed wrong. It took him a moment to realize what it was. It was too quiet! He peered through his thick glasses down the dark street towards the lone light pole over a half a block away. He strained his ears to hear some sign of activity ahead of him but no sound came to him.

At first, he though his family was playing a trick on him and quickly moved towards the next set of stairs. He glanced up at the lone Jack-o-lantern on the porch which grinned mockingly down at him. He didn’t venture up but moved to the next house and the next with the same results. A realization ran through him at that moment he was out at night, in a street he didn’t recognize alone!

The panic that came over him caused him to move more and more rapidly to each house glancing up at one empty set of stairs after another. His fleeting thoughts that this was a trick being played on him and that at any moment his family would jump out from their hiding place vanished as he encountered no one anywhere.

By this time his lust for candy had totally vanished and all he wanted was to find his home. But where was he? The part of the city he lived in was designed in blocks and every street looked identical to him in the dark. As he fought back the tears that begun to cloud his already dim view he chastised himself for paying more attention to his candy bag then to the streets he had been waling thorugh. For a split-second he was tempted to drop his bag and run but his better sence claimed him and he grip tightened up on his bag. After all, he’d need something to keep the monsters at bay when midnight hit and the monsters descended upon him.

He realized he needed to get his bearings and, as darkness seemed to close in on him, he glanced towards the lone light pole half a block away and headed towards it as quick as his legs would take him. He would make his last stand there when midnight hit and all those monsters from all of those movies descended upon him.

The sounds that came to his ears now seemed to be amplified along with the beating of his heart. He would welcome his brothers jumping out from a darkened set of stairways, his imagination at the time had begun to conjure up a lot worse.

He moved past the last darkened set of stairs, knowing in true movie fashion, if something was going to get him it would be right before he reached the safety of the ring of light shining just a few yards in front of him. He blinked the tears out of his eyes and braced himself for the horror he knew was hiding there. He braced himself and dashed past the last steps and into the light.

He was safe!

In the glow of street light he was able to relax long enough to glance around. It was then he realized that something looked familiar. It was front door and he could see it from where he stood!

A sense of relief washed over him that caused his eyes to brim with tears as he thought of the safety of his mom’s embrace and that gave him the courage he needed to run to the edge of the light and up the dimly lit steps towards his front porch. He had no idea how long he had been out there but it had to be after midnight by now and he knew his mom would be worried about him.

The living room was full of activity when he ran through the door. His brothers and sister were sitting on the floor. They had removed their masks although they still wore their costumes and in front of each one was a large pile of candy that they were sorting through as they were instructed. His mother was helping his little brother with his candy and smiled up at him as he walked in.

He dropped his bag on the floor and removed his mask walking quickly over to her and gave her a hug. He told her he had gotten lost and he didn’t understand why everyone had left him. At first she started to smile at him but then she saw the tears on his face and she stopped. She took his hands in her and explained to him that they had only arrived at the house a short time ago. She had know that he was only up the block. He told her he had to have been lost for hours. She told him they had just arrived a short time ago pointing out the fact that, like every year, his siblings were still sorting their candy.

She smiled up at him and, as mothers often do, quickly changed the subject by asking to look at his candy. The realization that what she was saying sunk in and he settled himself on the floor next to his mom and emptied his cascade of candy onto the floor so she could help him sort it.

He mentioned to his mom it seemed like it was a lot darker tonight then he remembered. She agreed.

It has been more than 40 years since I was that boy, and although the details have faded some the feelings have not.

RP can be a tricky disease, you see, it’s hereditary and one of its symptoms is night blindness, and unlike someone who has gone through an accident where there sight is diminished, for me I was born night blind and didn’t know it and no one could have told me either. For all outward appearances I was just a regular kid, clumsy sometimes, perhaps, but normal nonetheless. It would take over 30 years before I was diagnosed with the disease and that was after my mother was diagnosed with it after beginning to lose her site. Fortunately, she and I were the only ones in the family that have it, and it hasn’t shown up in any of my nephews and nieces. I have no children of my own.

Tricked?

I’ve felt that way in the past but I don’t anymore. I’ve learn to get a handle on it, and it’s my goal to share some of those insights with living with RP for both those who have it and for those who help those who have it.

Hope it helps.