In the next 2 weeks my book "Attitude Is Everything - My MS Story" will be released worldwide through Amazon. It will be available on Paperback, Kindle and also Ebook. I have to say that it has been a great and interesting journey putting it together, but to be honest not overly difficult for me. I don't mean this in an arrogant way however when you are writing about yourself and your experiences in the last number of years, as long as you can remember what happened to you and how you felt, putting it down on paper seemed to come natural to me.
I started thinking about writing this book around the Summer 2011. I was dx with Multiple Sclerosis in August 2007 and found the next few years very difficult, but since i worked out how to beat it i have been doing well since 2010 and getting stronger with the passing of each month. As i began to talk to other people about my experiences, i found that they felt i had a very strong story and message to share with people. When other MS sufferers started to contact me looking advice and asking me questions, i felt empowered at that point to take some action and put my very difficult but rewarding struggle down on paper in the form of a book. So all the hard work in the past 12 months is finally at an end as the book release is imminent:)
So what is the book about and who should read it? Well obviously the book is about me and what happened to me and how a very fit young man can come to get this thing called MS completely out of the blue at 28 years old. I explain in detail what happened to me that first day on honeymoon in Mauritius, the following week and next 12 months right through to diagnosis. The book captures a 6 year period from the onset of the illness to today - when i am in a much stronger fitter place, able and willing to share my experience.
I share in the book my 3 point plan which i implemented enabling me to beat the MS, and i also share with you some other nuggets that i embraced that gave me the strength to overcome my illness. I go into detail regarding the fact that i believe everyone of us hits a wall at some point in our lives - it could be financial, a relationship, bereavement, an illness - no one escapes challenges and in my case the MS was my wall that i had to try and overcome.
There is an old saying that if you are in a room with 10 people and you all throw your problems onto the floor, you would take your own back as the other 9 people seem to be much worse off. There is probably a lot of truth in that.
My message is that if you have and apply the right Attitude, it doesn't matter what your problem is or height your wall is.....you can overcome it. I am very passionate about this, as i know the struggles out there right now. Every household has issues and problems to face, no one escapes - but it is how you deal with these challenges that will determine your success and fulfilment in life. Its so easy to give up, throw in the towel and wallow in self pity - but hopefully through my story and the other people i have detailed in the book, you will see that you can change things if you do one small thing - Tweak your Attitude.
I wrote this book in such a way that i feel most people will enjoy it and also get some benefit from reading it. I talk about a thing called personal development, and i don't care who you are but if you embrace this concept alone and commit to it, you will find your personal circumstances change for the better. People suffering from MS will obviously find my book very helpful as i share with you lots of information that has helped me fight and win the battle. Others with illnesses or challenges i also feel will certainly find some of my philosophy's interesting and engaging.
So there you go, i hope you get a copy and thoroughly enjoy it. If you do please let me know as i would love to hear your feedback.
Remember all #Attitude Is Everything and #Never Give up
Sunday 18 November 2012
Monday 5 November 2012
Unofficial NYC Marathon 2012 #Smashed
We arrived at 2pm local time on Friday and it was a great feeling being back in New York. I first visited this great City in 1999 and have some wonderful memories playing football for Cavan in the legendary Gaelic park and working for an Irish construction company in Manhattan. I think my first experience of the City really had a great impact on my development as it was my first real spell away from home, and you had to fend for yourself.
Anyway as we checked into our hotel on 42nd Street East Manhattan, we decided to head down to the EXPO as we had to register fro the marathon on Sunday and pick up our goody bag. When we arrived the place was bunged with excited runners and there was a great atmosphere which certainly wet my appetite for the race a couple of days later.
We picked up our gear and decided to go back to the hotel. As we got out of a cab, news started to filter through that Bloomberg had cancelled the marathon - i didn't believe it at first, but after spotting some TV's in and electrical shop - the news was true and NYC 2012 marathon was off. We got back to the hotel and there was an urgent meeting called by the travel company to explain what was going on. Without going into detail too much - the race had been cancelled. The bottom line was there was over 100 deaths the previous week in New York and there was more carnage and bereavements being reported in Staten Island daily - we were all pretty shocked and my own personal feeling was it was the right decision, but the Mayor should have made the call on the Monday or the Tuesday of that week.
Anyway the organisers had come up with a plan B, which was we would have a solidarity run in Central Park on the Sunday which would be a half marathon - i suppose it was better than nothing and we all had trained pretty hard for this. Sunday came and we headed over to Central Park. The weather was fantastic although a little bit cold. There must have been over 20,000 runners in the park and the atmosphere was incredible. Lots of New Yorkers stood around the route and offered all the runners water, sweets, fruit and most of all fantastic heart warming support.
Central Park is one of the most famous parks in the world and one lap is 6 miles of incredible scenery. As i was running away on my own with the music in my ear i decided i would complete 26.2 miles and run 4 laps of the park plus 2.2 extra. I had trained too long and too hard to come all this way and not do a marathon. 3 hours and 59 minutes later, a tired young Irish man had finished his run. I was exhausted and my legs were really aching. What made it that bit more gratifying was that during my training i was unable to run more than 14 miles as i picked up an injury, so i was pleasantly surprised and delighted that my body held up over the course. I wont lie to you it felt good - that's my 2nd marathon in 2 years and that's 6 years after the onset of my Multiple Sclerosis in 2006.
MS is pretty annoying and difficult to have to put up with, day in and day out. Whenever you decide to do a challenge you must have a goal in order to succeed. Some say a dream is a goal with a deadline, I agree. I have to tell you that my MS diagnosis was the reason i completed my marathon on Sunday. I suppose i wanted to prove to myself that i could run 26.2 miles again. I hope that other MS'ers get some strength from the fact that i was able to achieve my goal. Its a really nice feeling.
In a few weeks time i will sit down and write out my goals for 2013. 12 months ago i did the same exercise and i can tell you i hit most of the goals i put down on that page. Its a super feeling all.
In two weeks time my new book ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING will be released and i am looking forward to seeing the finished product. I never thought in the month of Sundays i would ever write a book. Well i have, and i suppose i will have to edit my Twitter Bio that I'm now also an author:)
All good fun, so try and stay positive all and remember #AttitudeIsEverything and #NeverGiveUp
Anyway as we checked into our hotel on 42nd Street East Manhattan, we decided to head down to the EXPO as we had to register fro the marathon on Sunday and pick up our goody bag. When we arrived the place was bunged with excited runners and there was a great atmosphere which certainly wet my appetite for the race a couple of days later.
We picked up our gear and decided to go back to the hotel. As we got out of a cab, news started to filter through that Bloomberg had cancelled the marathon - i didn't believe it at first, but after spotting some TV's in and electrical shop - the news was true and NYC 2012 marathon was off. We got back to the hotel and there was an urgent meeting called by the travel company to explain what was going on. Without going into detail too much - the race had been cancelled. The bottom line was there was over 100 deaths the previous week in New York and there was more carnage and bereavements being reported in Staten Island daily - we were all pretty shocked and my own personal feeling was it was the right decision, but the Mayor should have made the call on the Monday or the Tuesday of that week.
Anyway the organisers had come up with a plan B, which was we would have a solidarity run in Central Park on the Sunday which would be a half marathon - i suppose it was better than nothing and we all had trained pretty hard for this. Sunday came and we headed over to Central Park. The weather was fantastic although a little bit cold. There must have been over 20,000 runners in the park and the atmosphere was incredible. Lots of New Yorkers stood around the route and offered all the runners water, sweets, fruit and most of all fantastic heart warming support.
Central Park is one of the most famous parks in the world and one lap is 6 miles of incredible scenery. As i was running away on my own with the music in my ear i decided i would complete 26.2 miles and run 4 laps of the park plus 2.2 extra. I had trained too long and too hard to come all this way and not do a marathon. 3 hours and 59 minutes later, a tired young Irish man had finished his run. I was exhausted and my legs were really aching. What made it that bit more gratifying was that during my training i was unable to run more than 14 miles as i picked up an injury, so i was pleasantly surprised and delighted that my body held up over the course. I wont lie to you it felt good - that's my 2nd marathon in 2 years and that's 6 years after the onset of my Multiple Sclerosis in 2006.
MS is pretty annoying and difficult to have to put up with, day in and day out. Whenever you decide to do a challenge you must have a goal in order to succeed. Some say a dream is a goal with a deadline, I agree. I have to tell you that my MS diagnosis was the reason i completed my marathon on Sunday. I suppose i wanted to prove to myself that i could run 26.2 miles again. I hope that other MS'ers get some strength from the fact that i was able to achieve my goal. Its a really nice feeling.
In a few weeks time i will sit down and write out my goals for 2013. 12 months ago i did the same exercise and i can tell you i hit most of the goals i put down on that page. Its a super feeling all.
In two weeks time my new book ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING will be released and i am looking forward to seeing the finished product. I never thought in the month of Sundays i would ever write a book. Well i have, and i suppose i will have to edit my Twitter Bio that I'm now also an author:)
All good fun, so try and stay positive all and remember #AttitudeIsEverything and #NeverGiveUp
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