Prescription: A Dose of Inspiration

Dealing with macular degeneration is not just about eating a healthy diet, wearing good sunglasses, and having regular eye exams. It’s also about keeping a positive and hopeful attitude.

One way I try to help members of my Facebook group is to post quotes that offer words of inspiration. If you are interested in saving some of these, you might search for the first words or phrase. You’ll find that many are placed over background images that make them hard to read.

One day at a time

With a disease like macular degeneration where there's no way to know how it will progress, that uncertainty leads to anxiety when we continually think about what the future may hold. My best advice isn't anything new and isn't just for macular degeneration: take one day at a time.

“Live for today, love for tomorrow, and laugh at all your yesterdays. Never regret the past, always hope for the future, and cherish every moment you have.” - unknown.

"Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder. Let the challenges make you strong.” - unknown.

“No matter how good or bad your life is, wake up each morning and be thankful that you still have one." - unknown.

"You'll have good days, bad days, overwhelming days, too tired days, "I'm awesome" days, "I can't go on" days, and every day you'll still show up." - Darshan Jain.

Just breathe

There's research that tells us that excessive stress is not good for us in many ways. We also know from research that not only can stress be a consequence of vision loss but also a risk factor for the development and progression of AMD. There is always stress in our lives. One way to manage it is to 'just breathe.'

“Sometimes the best thing you can do is not think, not wonder, not imagine, not obsess. Just breathe, and have faith that everything will work out for the best.” - unknown.

"Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind." ~ David G. Allen.

"Quiet the voice telling you to do more and be more, and trust that in this moment, who you are, where you are at, and what you are doing is enough. You will get to where you need to be in your own time. Until then, breathe. Breathe and be patient with yourself and your process. You are doing the best you can to cope and survive amid your struggles, and that's all you can ask of yourself. It's enough. You are enough." - Daniell Koepke.

Vision

We talk so much about vision from the physical structures of our eyes and brain. There's another type of vision. It's the ability to look at ourselves and see what we CAN do, not what we cannot do.

"Truth is, I CAN still laugh, smile, listen, talk, teach, dance, hug, love, and live happily. Vision loss can hold you down, but the truth will set you free." - Maria Johnson, Girl Gone Blind®.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.” - Helen Keller

”The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” - Helen Keller.

"We are only as blind as we want to be." - Maya Angelo.

"Blindness is not an excuse to make me worthless and weak. It made me realize my worth and capability, it allowed me to become stronger, capable, and more independent." - The Invisible Vision Project.

Choices

Does having macular degeneration make you feel like you out of control? I remind people that even though we may not be able to control the AMD, we can choose how we are going to react to what may or may not happen.

“I am not what has happened to me. I am what I have chosen to make of it.” - unknown.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” - Theodore Roosevelt.

“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” - Robert Louis Stevenson.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie.

“Happiness comes when we stop complaining about the troubles we have and offer thanks for all the troubles we don't have." -

“Before you speak, THINK…

T - is it True?

H - is it Helpful?

I - is it Inspiring?

N - is it Necessary?

K - is it Kind?” - unknown.

The favorite quote

This quote received the most ‘likes’, ‘loves’ and comments.

“You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.” - unknown.

What Inspires You?

I hope you’ve found a quote or two here that resonates with you, that makes you feel better about your life and your circumstances.

Do you have a quote that inspires you? We’d love to have you share them.