response to post

I was just reading about turning into our weaknesses instead of turning away.  In other words, we face the weakness head on, talk about it honestly, analyze what happened and how we can learn, and make plans to improve.  It would be like responding thus,"I know I've gained weight and there may be problems because of it, but what I'm experiencing is beyond the weight.  I'm trying to get better.  Can you help me? "  Defending ourselves usually doesn't work.   Disarming people with sincerity sometimes works.It doesn't take any kind of patience when things go our way and people respond positively.  Patience is only required when things don't happen in our favor.  We all understand how this illness is a huge lesson in patience.   A lot of people know exactly what you are dealing with when you encounter people who don't respect your best efforts.This is my response to a post where the author feels like people don't believe she is sick with CFS. This illness opens us up to so much self-awareness that we can be overwhelmed by the experience.  Here's a excerpt that comes to mind:"...we may finally be led to that lonesome place where we suddenly see ourselves naked in all soberness.  Gone are all the little lies of self-defense.  We see ourselves in our vanities and false hopes for carnal security.  We are shocked to see our many deficiencies, our lack of gratitude for the smallest things.  We are now at that sacred place that seemingly only a few have courage to enter."  I think one of the hardest things for me to continually try to understand is how much I can and really cannot do.  What is the honest bare bones reality of my situation.  How much harder could I push?  Am I doing everything I can?  It's a brutal reality.  This illness is brutal.  We are here to support each other and try to ease the burden of brutality.Others may not believe you but WE BELIEVE YOU!!  We are your new reality. So, I read back over this and thought, "blah, blah, blah."  Too wordy.  Perhaps even preachy.  The problem with the written word is how it can be misconstrued.  This could come across as sounding like I'm a disciple of Depak Chopra.  Which I am not, by the way.  The thoughts in my brain sounded much better than the comment.   I do love Seals and Croft, by the way - or, another way.  They are kind of floaty and drift above it all.   (I think I might be drifting, too.  Just not necessarily above it all, but rather beyond it to someplace unknown to the sane world.)  carry on.