Advice From a Sick Girl: Little Secrets to a Happy Life

I am 19 and I became chronically ill when I was 14. Read more of my story here.

When I got sick, I was sort of forced into a slower-paced life. I couldn’t keep up with the fast-paced life I was used to, and my sense of normalcy sort of left.

I wasn’t ready for all the ways my life changed when I got sick. But the thing is, there are so many things in this life beyond our control. The things we depend on most can change at any moment. But life keeps on moving. It will keep moving whether you want it to or not, so the only thing you can do is give yourself patience as you adjust, keep on searching for happiness, and never stop living.

I realized that if I want to be happy, I have to adjust to my new reality and find new ways to be happy.

I started to find little bits of happiness in the simple life I was living, and life started to get really beautiful.

On days when I was bedridden, I started to listen to music a whole lot, and I fell in love with it. I realized how important it was to decorate my room in a way that I really loved for a good environment and a space I liked to look at. I started watching the sunset through my window, and it became one of my favorite parts of the day. The taste of coffee is what got me out of bed even on the most painful mornings.

“The little things” were all I had, so I found a way to love them.

Lower energy days taught me how to live slowly and not stress about resting more and moving slow. I figured out how peaceful life can be, and how you can choose to find that peace whenever you choose.

Going from an active lifestyle and being known for my physical strength, to being chronically ill made me find new hobbies and discover the creative side of myself. When physical movement wasn’t something I could really depend on anymore, I found out that I really like painting, writing, photography & videography, and all things creative. That’s sort of what led me to the work I have created on social media and this blog.

Use my lessons for your own life:

• Fall in love with all the little things in life. I mean really take the time and energy to appreciate and love all these little things around you. Because once you do, beauty will surround you and you won’t have to look so hard for it anymore. Life get’s really beautiful when you fall in love with the little things.
• This world is really beautiful. Make sure you slow down enough to notice it.
• Learn how to rest more and live slowly without feeling guilty that you should be more productive.
• Never stop branching out and trying new things. You never know when you will stumble across something you’ll really love.
• Find peace in going with the flow. Life will feel a lot smoother.
• When things change up on you, give yourself the patience to process it all, but also don’t stop living. Adjust to the changes where you can and keep on seeking out happiness.
• Don’t wait to live. Don’t wait to travel until you’re retired, don’t wait to go to the beach until you lose weight, don’t wait to live because it could all slip away before you’re ready.

This is your life, and for all we know, it’s the only one you get to live. Make it as happy and full of life as you possibly can, whatever that means for you.