DO THE THING

Oh, to be able to get out of bed, step into the shower, don clothes and walk out the door!  Where did all that 'normal' go?

The first priority, after hip surgery, is to get back to 'normal' - meaning to feel healthy, mobile, social and happy.  To get 'normal,' doctors, nurses and therapists encourage and prod patients into relearning how to sit, stand, wash, eat, dress - all those things accomplished with ease last week.

"You can do it...," they insist.
"Just one more step up - or down...."
"Stand up straight..." becomes a mantra.

Recovery isn't easy but thanks to guidelines and encouragement from family and friends, it becomes reality.  Ultimately, it is up to the patient to determine the outcome, to do the work and to succeed.  In my case, I reached into my Bag of Tricks and pulled out an old Good Advice standard:  Do the Thing and You Will Have the Power.

Do the Thing was one of my motivational seminars.  Many years ago, I presented life-skill seminars to adults whose lives had been disrupted and who sought direction to create better, more comfortable lives.    Do the Thing has lead to great successes in three easy steps: Think - weigh the positives and negatives in order to Plan your path with confidence, then Act on your decision - and you will Succeed.

With years of practice, Do the Thing has served me well in securing employment, academics, the arts, relationships and life.  Just last week, still sluggish from surgery, I invited a group of women to join me for an afternoon - which meant I had to clean house, go shopping, prepare food and act as hostess.  It was exhilarating and exhausting just to think about it, but I confidently put Do the Thing into action one more time....

We all enjoyed a beautiful afternoon filled with friendship, MahJongg, food and laughter!