Cliched as it sounds, one can change his future by merely changing his attitude.
2023 saw me in hyperactive mode– traveling in and out of town almost monthly and juggling roles without missing a beat. I was moving around non-stop until 2024 entered my life and I got three bright red mosquito bites while on a consular-related trip to the Leyte Regional Prison. Even with fluctuating feverish spells, I took my body to work and replied to work emails from sickbed without disclosing to co-workers and clients that, alas, I tested positive for the deadly dengue virus.
While not quite surprised with the lab results showing the presence of the virus in my blood, it took a bit of time for the whole prospect of getting hospitalized to sink in. After some discussion with doctors and a little bit of homework on the illness, I decided to nurse myself back to good health and not be overpowered by feelings of helplessness and self-pity. When my platelets started to drop along with my energy levels, all that I could express was anger. I was mad at the main reason for my trip to the place where I got the evil mosquito bites. I was mad at someone who was oblivious to my illness even after I disclosed it during conversations. The thing with me and anger is that my body automatically shifts to fight mode and all I could think about was getting all the help for my illness, never mind that doctors had already said that there was no cure for it.
I adjusted my diet, sourced some supplements, clocked off earlier at work, turned off some notifications while sleeping, rejected toxic encounters and developed a bit of apathy for those who seemed not to care about my well-being. The signs of the deadly virus gradually subsided. I got back my healthy color but I’m not the kind of empath I used to be. We all have a switch somewhere and all it took was some life-changing event for me to reach for it and change modes.
You don’t need to face the possibility of death to change though. There could be a toxic situation that plays on repeat in your life or a vicious cycle that most likely spells ‘t-r-a-u-m-a-b-o-n-d’. If you know what it is you really need and want in your life, just try taking a deep breath and go forward boldly. Remember that you can’t change what you tolerate. Like they say: “Insanity is doing the same things while expecting different results.”