In Cobra Kai, Daniel offers some wisdom to his daughter Sam. In the third season, Sam is struggling with the trauma of having gotten into a fight at school and Miguel becoming seriously injured. She tries to push through it and is faced with setback after setback. Daniel gently reminds her that she is the only one who can get up when she is down and that no one else can do it for her. She has to make the decision to stand up for herself.
Even when we are surrounded by an incredible support system, at the end of the day, we are the ones who have to stand up and fight for ourselves. Our support system can’t make that decision for us.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, I knew that I had to be my own best health advocate. No matter how much other people around me helped and made sure that I got what I needed from doctors, I was and remain, the person who is most invested in a good outcome and peace of mind for myself. For me, that meant I had to educate myself as much as I could. I had to spend the time I would rather spend chasing waterfalls or traveling understanding my condition and all the potential treatments, that weren’t necessarily standard of care at the hospital. I had to make myself a priority, which was really hard for me, because I had never done it before.
When life comes and knocks you down, you may have an amazing group of cheerleaders around you, but you have to be the one to stand back up. You must decide that your life or whatever it is you want is worth fighting for and that you are willing to do whatever it takes to overcome your struggles.
Are you willing to stand back up when you get knocked down?
