Life can change in an instant. Take a sudden cardiac arrest, for example. It flips your world upside down. Suddenly, everyday things become challenges. Before, I was an optimist, but after my incident, I felt like I lost my sparkle. The brain tends to focus on the negative.
My life has definitely shifted since then, and it's a daily reminder. It's not just about me; it affects my spouse and our relationship too. Here's what constantly reminds me of that event:
Accepting these changes was tough. It took therapy, studying Stoicism, and a mindset shift from being a victim to being a survivor. Besides the fact that my heart stopped beating for 19 minutes, I was technically "gone" for four and a half minutes during that cardiac arrest, but luckily, my brain suffered no lasting damage.
Today, I've come to terms with it. It is what it is. I can't change what happened, but I can change how I perceive it. And I've realized that even in the toughest situations, there's a silver lining:
So, it's all about focusing on the positives and cherishing what I still have. It's about adapting and finding opportunities in every situation. That's how I've learned to navigate life after my cardiac arrest.