On a TV programme last night, I saw a man that had fallen from ten floors of scaffolding, and nearly died. He had broken numerous bones, but more seriously had severe brain injuries. He has a wife and two young children, and his life will never be the same again. The reporter asked him if he felt he was lucky or unlucky. I thought he was unlucky, to have fallen in the first place, but he answered lucky.He was still alive to see his children grow up, although his life is changed forever.
We all have different views on luck. I know that, because I spend a lot of time talking to different people about that subject. Some, very strongly believe that you are either lucky or unlucky in certain situations. Others believe that you create your own luck. Some say that the harder you work, the luckier you become, I have a great support for that theory too! But my personal view is that somehow, things happen for a reason. There is no logic attached to that decision, it is just a feeling I have, backed up by years of people watching!
If I was unlucky to get my illness in the first place, it has certainly changed my life forever, but I have been very lucky with the things that have happened to me since then. Firstly, they found me a 100% match for my stem cell transplant. I survived all the treatment and the transplant. But I have found my way into another world, working with people affected by cancer. I went to Macmillan Cancer Support for help, and my life found a new purpose.
This path has led me to working with such wonderful people, both patients and professionals. To be able to use my experience and knowledge to improve peoples lives is incredible. To actually be able to see the difference you make is a feeling that cannot be described.It certainly has been a very long road, but now, into my fifth year, I feel that I have a real value in my work. I now realise that my personal experience is invaluable, for people that are starting out on their own journey.
During my journey, I started my own charity, have been lucky enough to have been invited to some very special events, and met some very famous people.I have won awards, and even been on TV! I am continually asked to share my experiences with different groups of patients/ professionals. All of these things would never have happened, if my life had been as it was. I consider myself lucky to still be alive and experience these things.
I really loved the work that I was doing before I got ill, and I thought that I was fully satisfied. I really thought that I was lucky to be doing something I enjoyed, at the age of 50.It seems I didn't really appreciate the meaning of job satisfaction!
Although I am not in the position to earn money, I consider my self so privileged to be able to use my personal experience to help in some way.So was I lucky when I got ill? No, but I was lucky with what happened because of it. Some people say that it is because I work in the way I do, that some of those things happened. I say, I know a lot of people who work like me, and those things have never happened to them.
One area that I think I am really lucky, is to be alive during the invention of the internet. In some respects that certainly is a life changer in a different way!
Are we really lucky with what happens in our lives? Do we create our lives, or do things just happen for a reason? Is there a part of your life that is down to luck, or is it hard work and good planning?
Have you had some good luck that you would like to share, particularly if you have won the lottery!!!
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