Disease is no match for the human spirit | Positive thinking

If there is one thing I’ve come to appreciate through nursing, it’s the incredible complexity of a single human being. The brain is one of the most intricate wonders in the universe — and the nose isn’t far behind! Anatomy aside, the human spirit is endlessly fascinating. Over and over, I’ve seen how a person’s attitude and outlook can profoundly influence the progression or healing of illness.

When I was still a student nurse, new to the raw reality of suffering, I met a patient who shaped my perspective forever. A 36-year-old woman wheeled herself into the surgical ward. She was battling cancer, had a gangrenous right leg, and was booked to have her leg amputated that morning. I remember being stunned silent, trying to reconcile her youthful face with the state of her body. She caught me staring and smiled: “Don’t worry dear, it’s just a body. I’m made up of much more than this flimsy thing.”

Her resilience humbled me. Even after her operation, her smile never faded. She joked with the staff, helped herself as much as she could, and refused to wallow in self-pity. If I ever slipped into pitying her, she would gently stop me. She believed there was always something to be grateful for. I know she must have faced dark moments — nobody welcomes cancer — but despite what it was doing to her body, her spirit stayed light. She radiated a genuine laugh that lifted everyone around her. Even when her body failed her, her spirit didn’t. She did whatever she could to live the best life possible, despite the cards she was dealt.

In contrast, in another ward, I cared for a patient living with advanced diabetes. She had lost her sight and struggled to walk far due to pain in her legs. Her days were filled with deep sadness, and she would often ask aloud why God had abandoned her. She was in constant pain, which we did our best to manage, but her suffering seemed magnified by an unshakable despair.

I wanted so much to comfort her. I tried to encourage her, to remind her that she still had options, that a carefully followed treatment plan and a supportive diet could help her regain some independence and ease her pain. But I also saw how overwhelming it all was for her – how alone and punished she felt by her illness and by life itself. Her sadness became an invisible wall, making it hard for loved ones to reach her, and eventually, her isolation grew. Without her belief that life could get better, it was nearly impossible for her to take an active role in her healing.

This taught me something that’s stayed with me to this day: our outlook can either anchor us in despair or lift us into hope, even when things feel unbearable. Illness is never simple. Pain is never just physical. But within each of us is something indestructible – a peace and strength that nothing can take away, if we can stay in touch with it.

And yet, it’s also okay to break down and cry and feel what you need to feel. This isn’t about toxic positivity – it’s about remembering that you are more than your body. We can recognise our pain and suffering without ignoring the light that still shines through.

Whatever you’re facing, if it’s even 1% possible, please tend to that unbreakable light in you — it can carry you through storms you never thought you could survive.

Edit: Coincidentally, just as I finished writing this, the song Inside Us All by Creed started playing in my headphones. There really is a peace inside us all. 💙

When I’m all alone 🎶
And no one else is there
Waiting by the phone
To remind me 🎵
I’m still here
When shadows paint the scenes 🎶
Where spotlights used to fall
And I’m left wondering 🤔
Is it really worth it all?
There’s a peace inside us all 💛
Let it be your friend
It will help you carry on, in the end
There’s a peace inside us all 💛
Life can hold you down
When you’re not looking up
Can’t you hear the sounds? 🎵
Hearts beating out loud
Although the names change
Inside we’re all the same
Why can’t we tear down these walls? 🎶
To show the scars we’re covering
There’s a peace inside us all 💛
Let it be your friend
It will help you carry on, in the end

2025 Edit: I feel that Nightbird shares the heart of this message far more beautifully than I ever could. If you need a reminder of what it means to find light in the darkness, listen to her song here “It’s Okay” – Nightbird’s Audition ✨

One more edit: A resource that saved my husbands life: listen to this audio book nightly, Listen to this audiobook nightly. Don’t worry about trying to understand every word; just let it seep gently into your subconscious. It’s short enough to finish often, and you can even fall asleep to it — just make sure you hear it at least once a day. Tao Te Ching The Book Of The Way Lao Tzu: https://youtu.be/AqQCF5NBrDQ?si=CDjZfD_FReWvPjyJ