A Passion for Living

For those of us who have had one or more chronic health conditions in our life, we have all shared in the passion for living. We really had to, in facing some of the challenges along the way. Not to say that we all faced the same obstacles or difficulties, and even for those who found their battle with hep C easy compared to what some faced, that kind of passion was present.

It's not a competition

Measuring the degree or intensity of that passion is not necessary and it isn’t a competition. Demonstrating your own version of it is not a requirement either, as it can be something you simply live with and manage as best as you can in your day to day life. What others see or think they see is not an accurate indicator of the struggle and never was. So many of the things that affect people with hep C or with past lived experience do not demonstrate any physical change in appearance until they are in the end stages of living.

Some are passionate about advocacy

A constant smile is not an indicator either, or avoiding what some might describe as negative, is not a requirement if your passion is to tackle something in the benefit of others. Lots of people have a passion to affect change, and in that activity, one is likely to face some degree of opposition, and at times it isn’t pretty, fair, or nice. With a passion for positive change that benefits others, you are not deterred by those obstacles, and in the process of overcoming the barriers, there may be renewed passion.

Passion drives us

Having passion for things is often the fuel for drive in people, and the drive to live is inherent in us all. Perhaps your passion is to be the marathon runner you always wanted to be or learn to play an instrument better or take it up for the first time... It matters little what that passion is. With chronic illness, most of us just want to feel better as our main goal. It is in part the passion for living that helps us get well, even if not the only thing. The desire for improvement is a human thing, and thankfully so. If there had never been the passion to bring about change and improvements, we would still be in the dark ages or, actually, much farther back.

A good example is medicine, recognizing that it is not the only thing we have seen advancements in. But, just in a matter of years, there was a safe, reliable, and effective cure for hep C was found. This one accomplishment is a stand-out, despite how little attention it has received. If there had not been a passion to do the work in discovering the answer, we would not be seeing the awesome results for more and more people. That took passion and determination, along with drive! Whatever your passion is, I hope that you enjoy the journey, stumbles and all, because you are far more likely to brush yourself off and carry on with a passion for living.