Keep a Positive mindset with Parkinson’s: Gratitude is the foundation

(lesson learned from my LDS friends after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s and also listening to all of Michael J Fox’s audiobooks)
Gratitude is the foundation of all of the other lessons I have learned. If you can find grattitude and stay optimistic, it is much easier to keep the mindset required to continue an exercise program.

Shortly after I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2020, my Facebook feed became inundated with several of my friends posting each day about something for which they were grateful. I noticed it was mostly my Utah friends and other LDS friends I have made along the way. I asked one of them what the backstory was and she shared this video with me.

This video certainly hit a cord with me and helped me to begin thinking more positively and taking the time each day to find something for which I am grateful.

It is definitely worth the time to watch. If you prefer to skip the religious part, the first 2:45 and then 3:42-8:20 minutes of the video are the meat of it.

Write down one thing each day for which you are grateful and at the end of the day one thing you did well. Some days may require more creativity than others, but even that will make you smile.

I also listened to all of Michael J Fox’s audiobooks, in which he often speaks of the power of gratitude and the impact it has had on his life. He often says,

“Gratitude makes optimism sustainable.”

Examples: I am grateful for my family, my dog, that I live in a free country, that I can have some control over my future by exercising, that I have chocolate milk in my refrigerator, that I have amazing friends and that they are able to help me find the humor in tough situations and they appreciate my lack of sanity.

Next: Think of yourself as the hero of your story

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