Finding Your Purpose

The initial diagnosis of heart failure can be a total shock to you. Most of us don’t see it coming, and even if we do, it’s still difficult hearing it from someone as an official diagnosis. Usually, there is some sort of depression that follows, along with some hope that in the follow-up appointment, your heart will get better. In a few cases it does, but most of the time it does not, or not enough to have the heart function back to normal. It stinks, but it’s ok. Maybe life will never be the same for you and your family, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a reason to keep moving forward as you did before.

What is my purpose?

In reality, your purpose for moving forward hasn’t really changed. The way you do it may have, but the actual reason doesn’t. Don’t lose sight of that. You may not be thinking clearly, so you need to focus on what is important. Worrying about your diagnosis is not what you should focus on. Yes, it is important to remember you have this issue and you need to do the right thing each day to keep it under control and keep yourself from being sick or getting worse. So, now that you are thinking clearly, what is your purpose for moving forward and keeping yourself healthy?

Family and friends

The main reason many of us have for keeping going is our family and friends. Whether it be a spouse, kids, extended family, or all of the above, there is usually some form of family and/or friends we have to live for. I would find it hard to believe that there isn’t a single person that you wouldn’t want to try harder to live for and to be around as long as possible. Someone out there would be sad if you let yourself go and didn't fight your hardest. I know this is the time when you have trouble focusing on others, but this is the best time to focus on others. It will help you realize you are not alone in this and why you are fighting to live.

Pets and bucket lists

If you are someone that doesn’t have anyone that you feel like you need to try harder for, maybe there is something else you can do. It could be something like getting a pet or knocking off a bucket list item. I know that if I had a pet, I would want to live for them so they don’t have to go to another home in case I didn’t keep myself in the best health for them. On top of them being sad and not understanding, it would be rough for them to go to a new home and possibly to someone that could treat them badly.

Bucket lists are another reason to live. The tricky thing with bucket lists, in my opinion, is keeping them fresh and always having something to look forward to. Before you check off the last item, add a few more so that you always have a reason to keep going.