Written by Hailey Krey
Many may ponder the question, “Where do I see myself in 1, 5, 10 years from now?” Life is like a giant road map with every road featuring different life experiences, ranging from exhilarating to devastating. Hi, my name is Hailey Daniels. I am the writer and founder of the Positive Impact Chain. Along the journey to my goals and dreams, I felt I had a clear vision of where I wanted to be in 5-10 years, until one event shook my world and destroyed all clarity. At the age of 15 I was diagnosed with an incurable disease called Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). Arthritis may sound like an old person’s disease to you, but in reality, 300,000 children in the U.S. are affected. In short, Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain and inflammation in the joints (and possibly organs), which leads to immense pain and deformity. This could be considered a head-on collision in the life of an active runner and tennis player. I was in utter shock and confusion.
The pain was most prominent in my hands, wrists, and knees. It affected my everyday life. One day I felt fine running a half marathon and the next I was unable to get out of bed due to pain and weakness. I was informed that the possible impact of this disease could cause me to be confined to a wheelchair in the near future if we didn’t get things under control. This detour seemed to take me onto a new and unclear road I did not want to travel. I had dreams of playing college tennis and living a healthy and active lifestyle. Pressing forward with high hopes, I fought for the positive instead of the predicted crippling future. As I opened my heart and mind to the blessings in disguise, I found joy in the journey. Arthritis became my greatest blessing instead of a curse. Although this detour brought hurt and heartache, it opened windows of opportunity I never imagined possible. I became heavily involved with the Arthritis Foundation, where I began sharing my story, spreading awareness about JRA, raising thousands of dollars, participating in fundraising 5ks and walks, gala dinners, and working with the arthritis community. I was asked to be the honoree for a bike ride along the Oregon Coast. I began living a dream that I never imagined. I felt as if I found my calling in life. Life’s battles aren’t meant to slow us down. Although in pain, I continued running, hiking, biking, swimming, and playing tennis. I found that keeping a positive mindset was one of my greatest strengths when physically I had no strength.
Despite the struggle, I was determined to let nothing hold me back from my previous dreams. With much prayer, a positive mindset, and reliance on God and Jesus Christ, I continued in my goals and dreams of playing collegiate level tennis. Every painful battle brought miraculous course directions to making this dream possible. After a lot of hard work, and because of Jesus Christ, my dream became a reality. I am currently playing tennis at Brigham Young University – Hawaii, my dream school, and I was able to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Northern Nevada. I continue to live for my dreams and work to make them a reality. Although my disease is incurable, my greatest medication has lived in the power of my own mind -- the power of positivity. This great truth and discovery lead me to create The Positive Impact Chain. It is my passion to help others see the impact that a dose of positivity can have on life in finding a cure to whatever problems they may be facing. As the ups-and-downs in life come, and the rainstorms pound out sunshine, world problems and personal trials can be cured through one simple medicine: positivity.
My overall message includes one of hope and positivity. Developing a positive outlook starts one decision a day at a time. Through focusing on the positivity your life road map will unfold as a beautiful and intricate image. You will see how all things align just perfectly, just as the stars in the sky. It’s quite marvelous how the bumps and bruises of life bring us to certain points and pivots. The trials we experience turn out to be critical roads and pathways leading us to where we presently stand physically, emotionally, and mentally. The road map of life is never a straight line to our desired dreams and destinations. We find ourselves coming across traffic jams, windy roads, detours, pit stops, flat tires, etc. You name it. We see it all. Everyone carries diverse blueprints. I firmly believe that God has a divine plan of happiness for everyone, and all things happen in our life that point us exactly where we need to be.
Although I may not see your life circumstances, I can promise you that there will come a day when everything will make sense. It’s true; every road map has unseen roads and includes many unexpected events. As we embrace those changes with a brightness of hope, the beauty of life will unfold. It is the outlook that changes a tragedy into an opportunity. As for my experience, what started as a head-on collision turned into a beautiful path stretching to new horizons. Positivity became my cure. It brought a new energy and light that reached deeper than my pain. Look to the horizon and focus on the silver lining and you too can find your cure through positivity.
Positivity it the key / HD
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