I was talking to a Caregiver the other day.

This Caregiver had recently been in a position to need a Caregiver and had found it difficult to accept.

As we spoke she told me the hardest part of her recent illness, a very serious illness, was that she had not expected it or seen it coming.  Then we stumbled onto an interesting phenomenon.  It was because of her chronically positive outlook on life that blinded her to her growing condition.

Every morning she wakes up, she is in a good mood!  I have witnessed this over the ye  ars. 

If she were one to wake up and feel every ache and pain; to complain about every slight ailment and run to the doctor; she would have been diagnosed earlier.  Instead, she has a positive outlook about everything; a confidence that she is fine, or going to be fine!

So, as a result she accepted something that was “not normal” as “normal” and just continued to “Get Out of Bed and Go to Work!”

We are all, as I call it, “in search of normal” in some fashion.  Some of us naturally assume that what we have is somehow not good enough; somehow not normal.  As a result, we are quick to jump onto whatever cause; whatever ailment; we can use to label our current state in the hopes that we can improve it or change it.

We may also run around searching for answers, seeking treatment, and expecting cures for normal aging, normal stresses; lack of motivation or action.

Yet here, in an ironic twist, her positive outlook, her motivation and action, blinded her to her own needs.  “You might be a Caregiver if… you are so busy caring for others you fail to realize when you yourself are in need of assistance!”

Build a team of support around yourself; find people who love you enough to hurt you!  Find someone who will say, “Girl, that just ain’t right!  You need help!!!”

But most of all; when you need help… accept it!

 

Lon Kieffer is proud to announce the re-launch and re-vitalization of an old program; ‘Defending the Caregiver!” in a new format.  A one-man play, a Dramedy (comedic drama), celebrating, “The Caregiver!”  To learn more visit:  www.DefendingTheCaregiver.com

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Lon Kieffer, author of “Get Out of Bed and Go to Work!”, Speaker, Consultant, Expert on Workplace Culture Change and Generational Conflicts, gives seminars, keynote and plenary addresses, runs annual sales meetings, and provides Common Sense Consulting at:  www.LonKieffer.com. He can be reached at:  (302) 462-6748 or via email at:  Lon@LonKieffer.com