What does it mean to have glorious opportunities? Yes, you did attend one of the best
universities in America and gained an outstanding education. Having landed a top job at a prestigious law
firm you're moving up in your career.
What have you achieved? You
married the woman of your dreams and have three wonderful children. But you like taking chances, so you bought a
raffle ticket and hit the jackpot. What
else has enhanced your life of dreams?
You’ve become a well-known motivational speaker. And having success in life, you conclude
you’ve been blessed with special gifts.
Turned Upside Down
Sometimes a misfortune has a strange way of changing one’s
life. You never expected to be diagnosed
with dementia. You were now like British
retired medical professional Dr. Jennifer Bute, who was diagnosed with this
disease. In “Dementia – A Glorious
Opportunity” by Kreativity on Vimeo April 26, 2011, Dr. Bute told the public of
her remarkable years as a General Practitioner, and all the wonderful things
she did for her patients. Talking about
her disability she viewed her affliction as a glorious opportunity from God to
do more good for people. Will Joe be
like her?
Joe’s dreams, plans, and fortunes were turned upside
down. His life’s landscape was re-arranged
and transformed. What a dilemma has his
situation become? His life has been blunted and everything appears as though it
has changed for the worse. Some friends
misunderstood his misfortune, but, “Is his affliction necessarily bad?” But loving friends and neighbors rallied
around him as a superb role model.
A Filipino band SIX Cycle Mind sings about Joe’s phenomenon
because his world was turned “Upside Down.”
It released two albums - Shine (2003) and Panorama (2005). His situation could be likened to a person
who now has to do metaphorical handstands, headstands, and somersaults to get
through life. For Joe, it was
contemplating life changes like those of Dr. Bute, in coping with the new
person he has become.
Missed Chance?
Some might feel that Joe missed the chance of a life
time. They might experience emptiness
while afflicted with a debilitating disease.
But is it right to see when one door closes another opens? An essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803–1882)
observed, “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and
for everything you gain, you lose something else.” In viewing your situation as gain, and not a
loss, brings untold benefits to life.
Why not be like Dr. Bute?
Just view your life as having a new meaning when imagining
different ways of thinking and coping.
It’s like starting over from scratch and being assured everything works
out for the better. Strange as it may
seem, your dementia may well be a blessing in disguise. It’s right to accept that you’re bearing this
cross for the long haul. It’s good to
reflect on the newness of life, for God still sees you as a complete
being. Afterwards, consider yourself as
a valuable member of society. You’ve to
be confident in the face of trials.
Quality of Life
It’s wise to promote a sense of well-being while living with
dementia. Just try to become more
physical. Let your friends accompany you
for walks and live in a life-affirming community. Challenge yourself in new ways. Keep reading - and if you can’t, find someone
who will read to you. Remember to try to
gear your activities to the development of your health. As the disease progresses, make sure that
your finances are in order. An author
and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) pointed out, “Fact: If standard of living is
your number one objective, quality of life almost never improves. But if quality of life is your number one
objective, standard of living invariably improves.”
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