When trauma turns to blessing.

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Often we go through things in life that seem to knock the wind out of our sails and while we are going through a difficult time find it hard to see the silver lining.  The key to overcoming these challenges is to realize that they are setting a foundation for future successes.  Now I know that it's not always easy to do this, especially when you are at the end of your rope and all things seem dark and dismal.  That being said, how you position yourself during these difficult times is what develops character.  John Wooden the famed UCLA Basketball once said this about character: "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think about you."  Standing up and refusing to let your circumstances define you is what separates the winners from the losers.

I was very fortunate to be introduced to a tremendous lady not long ago.  Her name is Ann Gillie, and her story is quite remarkable.  Ann sent me a short bio about what she has had to go through and I wanted to share it with you today.  It shows a women who has been through a lot, but through it all, she has shown grit and determination, and now the world is benefiting from her story.  This is what Ann had to say:

Hi everyone, My name is Ann Marie Gillie and I live in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada. I am a mother of 3 boys (6, 15 and 19), motivational speaker and author but one of my greatest personal achievements is that I am an "Epilepsy" survivor! I had Neuro Surgery Dec 3,2002 at the U of A Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and have been 100% seizure free since!!! My surgery was called Left Selective Amygdalahippocampectomy! I know what recovery was like for me, it was horrible the first year, depression hit me like a brick wall and I wish I would of had the resources that I do now, so that I could of interacted with others that are in (or were in) the same predicament. 

I was 2 yrs old when my seizures started and they went till i was about 9 and just stopped. I than went through a long remission and for no known reason the seizures returned when I was 20 yrs old, boom they were back. I struggled for 12 years with lots of meds, anxiety, not knowing when a seizure was going to happen. So one day in 2002 I decided to get a 2nd opinion and that is what changed my life forever. Now that I have lived with seizures, lived through surgery and living life to the fullest I want to expand and speak to those around the world, let everyone know YOU ARE NOT ALONE!  I would also like to say to anyone and everyone out there that lives with Epilepsy, that "you are who you are, be proud of YOU".

I am looking to speak with those around the world on my experience, I want to let others know to never give up, never say you can't do something. People need to stay positive and sometimes just having someone else understand what you are going through makes a world of difference.

My books both talk about my experience with epilepsy, the first one is quite personal, i don't hold anything back. My 2nd book Let's Talk About Epilepsy has stories from others around the world (those from my Facebook Support Group) that also are seizure free from their surgeries.

My  FACEBOOK Support Group  is called Life After Brain Surgery  - There are some amazing individuals in that group who all have stories, ideas and a great passion for supporting one another!! 

Believe in yourself and Believe you are worth it! I did

Take Care

If you have found yourself in a similar situation don't give up hope.  Don't give in to fear and doubt.  Never quit, and remember, you are not alone.  There are people all around who can provide assistance or reassurance.  Maybe there is some distance between the two of you, but that's why we have phones, email and the like.  Reach out to others who may have gone through similar things and ask them for some words of comfort.  

If you have been through a struggle and have survived to tell the tale then send me a note and I would be more than happy to share it with others.  We can learn so much from others and yet there are times when we feel we have to do it all alone.  Heck, if I can learn from someone else and eliminate the need to go through something horrific, I think I would choose to learn from someone else.  Once again, if life is a journey, why go it alone?  

Challenges will come to each of us.  How we handle them is what defines us.  It is time to look calamity in the face and tell it to go away, far far away.  You have what it takes to win the battles, and if you doubt this, then you give me a call and I will remind you how much you have to offer the rest of humanity.  Keep the faith my friends and know that tomorrow will bring smiles and sunshine and if you have that then you have more then a lot of people.