So today i was speaking with a friend of mine when he informed me that his daughter of 25 years old was diagnosed with MS. He was obviously devasted with this and it was even more difficult as his daughter was going through a difficult time as her symptoms were quite severe. I shared with him my experience also in my first few years and the fact that i too was quite ill at a time. However i also shared with him, that you can improve, and that his daughter needed to get a plan in place and also study the condition so that she will be in a good position to start and fight back. The bottom line is this young lady is in for a fight like all of us MS'ers the rest of her life. I happen to believe that if you equip yourself right and apply the right attitide you can improve and achieve almost anything including better health.
The point that i would like to raise here is how many people do we all know who walk about worrying constantly about things that at the end of the day are not really all that important? I would suggest we all do this in some shape or form. Also ask yourself who do we know that is healthy and literally takes their own health for granted and is'nt really very grateful that they are in quite good health. Again i would sufgest we are all guilty of this to a certain extent.
In this mad world we live in where everyone seems to be getting businer by the day, how about each day you take 3 minutes to yourself and be thankful for everything that is positive about your life. This will give you a sense of perspective and take you away from the rat race that we are all now a part off for a few very short moments. Just a thought. Remember people #AttitudeIsEverything and #NeverGiveUp
Friday 29 June 2012
Friday 22 June 2012
Jack Osborne - Multiple Sclerosis DX
The big news dominating the newsdesks and pressrooms worldwide this week is that Jack Osborne, son of the very famous Ozzy and Sharon Osborne, has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 26 years old. An MS diagnosis is devastating to say the least and there is no way of dressing that up however, from the little bit that I've read, Jack seems to be approaching such a difficult diagnosis with the right attitude, and i hope that he gets all the advice and medical care he needs to cope, as certainly for me i found diagnosis and following 24 months the toughest to deal with.
I have also spoken with 2 other people this week who have informed me that their pals children have just been diagnosed with MS and they are also in their mid twenties. This year alone I personally know of over 10 young adults who have got this dreadful diagnosis. Its fair to say I am concerned at the amount of people contracting MS now and one thing i would point out is that more people seem to be alot more open to actually coming out and sharing with others the fact they have the condition, and my view is this can only be a good thing.
Back to Jack, and my advice to him and anyone else who has just been diagnosis is to try and stay as positive as you can. MS is not a death sentence and i have alot to thank the condition for in a weird way to be honest, as its changed my life in so many good positive ways. Yes off course it has also caused me alot of stress and the symptoms for the first 3 years were very difficult to deal with however you need to understand not all is lost. The massive plus side of Jacks diagnosis, is that by this celebrity being diagnosed, it has raised awareness of the condition world wide which is a very positive development. MS can hit on anyone at any time, and if you are reading this, YES it could happen to you, it happened to me at 28 years old and i was 100% healthy. My point is that the more you know about the illness, then the better equipped you will be to deal with it. Anyone who is sick or has a problem of any kind, you need a plan and if you implement that plan it will give you a chance to fight back against the adversity. I was in the trenches for a long time before i started to improve, so the message is arm yourself with as much information as you can, stay positive and believe you can improve. #Attitude sEveryThing and #NeverGiveUp
I have also spoken with 2 other people this week who have informed me that their pals children have just been diagnosed with MS and they are also in their mid twenties. This year alone I personally know of over 10 young adults who have got this dreadful diagnosis. Its fair to say I am concerned at the amount of people contracting MS now and one thing i would point out is that more people seem to be alot more open to actually coming out and sharing with others the fact they have the condition, and my view is this can only be a good thing.
Back to Jack, and my advice to him and anyone else who has just been diagnosis is to try and stay as positive as you can. MS is not a death sentence and i have alot to thank the condition for in a weird way to be honest, as its changed my life in so many good positive ways. Yes off course it has also caused me alot of stress and the symptoms for the first 3 years were very difficult to deal with however you need to understand not all is lost. The massive plus side of Jacks diagnosis, is that by this celebrity being diagnosed, it has raised awareness of the condition world wide which is a very positive development. MS can hit on anyone at any time, and if you are reading this, YES it could happen to you, it happened to me at 28 years old and i was 100% healthy. My point is that the more you know about the illness, then the better equipped you will be to deal with it. Anyone who is sick or has a problem of any kind, you need a plan and if you implement that plan it will give you a chance to fight back against the adversity. I was in the trenches for a long time before i started to improve, so the message is arm yourself with as much information as you can, stay positive and believe you can improve. #Attitude sEveryThing and #NeverGiveUp
Sunday 17 June 2012
13.5 miles... Just Keep On Running !!
So yesterday i completed the longest run I've done this year...13.5 miles. That's just over a half marathon and beats my previous long runs this year by 0.4 miles. I've already completed 2 half marathons in 2012 namely Larne and a trail at Crossgar, and i hope to do Newtownards at the end of June. For those of you who do not know, I am training for the New York Marathon in November where i am running alonside my brother in law Jonny (JC) Callan ::: this is one of the reasons for the training.
People often say to me - what they hell are you doing all this running for? and how could you be bothered? well I've got a very simple answer for you --- when i was diagnosed in 2007 with Multiple Sclerosis, going to the supermarket to get the shopping with Kate was a serious challenge for me. To be honest I literally stayed in the house (more or less) for two years and cut myself off completely due to my symptoms. I struggled to cope with the illness and the physical symptoms were really distressing. Around that time i made a decision that I was going to beat this space invader and when i did, and i was strong enough to share my story i would start to test and challenge myself. I was thinking that by me completing challenges and smashing goals I might just encourage others to fight back against whatever obstacles they maybe facing. Certainly i now have loads of examples of people who have MS who have gained some hope by the fact that i have been able to fight and beat the condition - this is really gratifying!!!
So a very simple explanation then folks. Next week I plan to run 17 miles and i know tonight its going to be very difficult and quite painful, but I'm telling you now i will do it, and just to let you know for sure, i will blog about that run this time next week. Thats all folks, take care all and remember #NeverGiveUp and #AttitudeIsEverything
People often say to me - what they hell are you doing all this running for? and how could you be bothered? well I've got a very simple answer for you --- when i was diagnosed in 2007 with Multiple Sclerosis, going to the supermarket to get the shopping with Kate was a serious challenge for me. To be honest I literally stayed in the house (more or less) for two years and cut myself off completely due to my symptoms. I struggled to cope with the illness and the physical symptoms were really distressing. Around that time i made a decision that I was going to beat this space invader and when i did, and i was strong enough to share my story i would start to test and challenge myself. I was thinking that by me completing challenges and smashing goals I might just encourage others to fight back against whatever obstacles they maybe facing. Certainly i now have loads of examples of people who have MS who have gained some hope by the fact that i have been able to fight and beat the condition - this is really gratifying!!!
So a very simple explanation then folks. Next week I plan to run 17 miles and i know tonight its going to be very difficult and quite painful, but I'm telling you now i will do it, and just to let you know for sure, i will blog about that run this time next week. Thats all folks, take care all and remember #NeverGiveUp and #AttitudeIsEverything
Thursday 7 June 2012
Take Control --- It worked for me and can work for you!!!
when i got diagnosed with this space invader and seriously annoying condition, i remember very clearly the orders my neurologist gave me during the consultation;
"Conor you may forget about football, and forget about training because now you have MS. You really need to take things easy now and .... by the way you should also wind down at work, as a stressful job is not helpful for people with MS.
As i left his office my head was in a spin and i was overcome with a tsunami of negative thoughts. These thoughts stayed with me to one day a couple of years into the diagnosis, i woke up and started to fight back which i document very openly in my book Attitude Is Everything - coming out later this year. My point here is that my neuro was programming my brain to accept the fact that my MS was going to be my boss going forward and that really i should just accept the fact that things are going to be pretty crap for the rest of my life. It was bad enough getting the diagnosis but i now take the view that medical professionals need to be a little more sensitive to the situation and also be very careful when they are advising their patients. Have a think about this for a second. When i was diagnosed in 2007 - why did the neurologist not say the following;
"Conor the first 2 years will be tough but if you get a plan together, get on the right medication, get your diet right, implement an exercise program that works for you, and also wrap this up in a super charged positive approach to the illness you could be in great shape by 2012. In fact Conor i believe you will be fit enough to run marathons and will lead a very normal life"
Well that's what he could have said but he didn't, however its the reality with me today as i am in great form and winning the battle:) I would encourage every person who is dx with MS to take all advice on board, however do your own research and then develop your own winning spirit to fight back and YOU take control of the MS not the other way about. It is accepted that those who have a very positive approach to their illness generally are those who make the most progress. Have a think about this and remember #Never Give Up and that #Attitude Is Everything
"Conor you may forget about football, and forget about training because now you have MS. You really need to take things easy now and .... by the way you should also wind down at work, as a stressful job is not helpful for people with MS.
As i left his office my head was in a spin and i was overcome with a tsunami of negative thoughts. These thoughts stayed with me to one day a couple of years into the diagnosis, i woke up and started to fight back which i document very openly in my book Attitude Is Everything - coming out later this year. My point here is that my neuro was programming my brain to accept the fact that my MS was going to be my boss going forward and that really i should just accept the fact that things are going to be pretty crap for the rest of my life. It was bad enough getting the diagnosis but i now take the view that medical professionals need to be a little more sensitive to the situation and also be very careful when they are advising their patients. Have a think about this for a second. When i was diagnosed in 2007 - why did the neurologist not say the following;
"Conor the first 2 years will be tough but if you get a plan together, get on the right medication, get your diet right, implement an exercise program that works for you, and also wrap this up in a super charged positive approach to the illness you could be in great shape by 2012. In fact Conor i believe you will be fit enough to run marathons and will lead a very normal life"
Well that's what he could have said but he didn't, however its the reality with me today as i am in great form and winning the battle:) I would encourage every person who is dx with MS to take all advice on board, however do your own research and then develop your own winning spirit to fight back and YOU take control of the MS not the other way about. It is accepted that those who have a very positive approach to their illness generally are those who make the most progress. Have a think about this and remember #Never Give Up and that #Attitude Is Everything
Friday 1 June 2012
Screw Business as Usual.....
I am a huge advocate of personal development and around about 3 years ago i made the conscious decision to start studying some of the most successful entrepreneurs of the last 50 years. Richard Branson's life story is that fitting of a Stephen Spielberg blockbuster Hollywood movie, and he was one of the guys that i studied, along with Donald Trump, Warren Buffet and Andrew Carneigie to name a few.
In Bransons latest book "SCREW BUSINESS AS USUAL" he changes tack slightly from all his previous publications which i thought was very interesting and struck a chord with me. In his own words he describes his book ;
"I have written this book for those who, at the same time as wanting to develop a business and make a living, also want to do more to help people and the planet. It's a vibrant sea change from the way business was always done, when financial profit alone was the driving force"
You often read about how ruthless business can be and some of the lenghts people will go to be successful and i would agree there are many out there where money is their god and they would do anything to get to the top. However money is not the be all and end all and i would encourage any of you young entrepreneurs to consider this when you are planning your own entrepreneurial journey.
I have been very fortunate over the past 10 years to work with some of the best business people about and i have tried to learn as much as i could of each and every person i have worked with over the years. Today i find myself in a position whereby along with my partner, we are 15 months into a new venture www.gdpni.com and at the heart of this venture is helping people get back on a financial footing and assist them get their lives back in order. I can tell you that it is extremely gratifying when we first meet a client and they are under severe pressure and after a few months with some planning and acute advice that same person is mentally, physically and financially better off in alot of cases. Money cant buy this and whats even better is that the majority of our client base go on to become good friends of ours and we develop long term relationships which is great. So when i think about Bransons book "Screw Business As Usual" i would say that i have found myself in a career which is not dis-similar to what he is advising in his publication. I am not saying that i am a great guy but what i would be saying is that when you love your work and you are genuinely helping people, you wont work another day in your life as you will be enjoying yourself too much. A little teaser for you and remember;
#AttitudeIsEverything and #NeverGiveUp
In Bransons latest book "SCREW BUSINESS AS USUAL" he changes tack slightly from all his previous publications which i thought was very interesting and struck a chord with me. In his own words he describes his book ;
"I have written this book for those who, at the same time as wanting to develop a business and make a living, also want to do more to help people and the planet. It's a vibrant sea change from the way business was always done, when financial profit alone was the driving force"
You often read about how ruthless business can be and some of the lenghts people will go to be successful and i would agree there are many out there where money is their god and they would do anything to get to the top. However money is not the be all and end all and i would encourage any of you young entrepreneurs to consider this when you are planning your own entrepreneurial journey.
I have been very fortunate over the past 10 years to work with some of the best business people about and i have tried to learn as much as i could of each and every person i have worked with over the years. Today i find myself in a position whereby along with my partner, we are 15 months into a new venture www.gdpni.com and at the heart of this venture is helping people get back on a financial footing and assist them get their lives back in order. I can tell you that it is extremely gratifying when we first meet a client and they are under severe pressure and after a few months with some planning and acute advice that same person is mentally, physically and financially better off in alot of cases. Money cant buy this and whats even better is that the majority of our client base go on to become good friends of ours and we develop long term relationships which is great. So when i think about Bransons book "Screw Business As Usual" i would say that i have found myself in a career which is not dis-similar to what he is advising in his publication. I am not saying that i am a great guy but what i would be saying is that when you love your work and you are genuinely helping people, you wont work another day in your life as you will be enjoying yourself too much. A little teaser for you and remember;
#AttitudeIsEverything and #NeverGiveUp
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