Self-Awareness
Hi, I'm Michael, and I'm a stroke survivor.
Rehabilitation is founded on the notion that through time and persistence, improvement is inevitable. The body will regain strength, new neural pathways will form to regulate speech and movement, and gradually, you will regain some, if not all, of your former self. A prevailing message throughout this process is to maintain a positive outlook.
Some individuals find it straightforward to remain optimistic about the journey of recovery, while others struggle. The majority oscillate between the two extremes, their perspective shifting slightly each day. As an entrepreneur, I am typically a positive person. The nature of building a business from the ground up instils a belief that through hard work and time, almost anything can be achieved. Consequently, maintaining a positive outlook during rehabilitation wasn't difficult for me.
Yet, a more significant challenge was not managing positivity and negativity, but cultivating self-awareness.
As the term implies, self-awareness is a deeply personal task. You must be "self" aware of your situation. The analogy of divorce best illustrates my perspective on this. When a couple is facing marital difficulties, they often hear the advice, "Fight for your marriage." While it's essential to explore every option when a marriage is in crisis, only the two people within the relationship can truly understand when all options have been exhausted. Recognizing that moving on might be healthier necessitates self-awareness.
During rehabilitation, self-awareness is critical because those around you often strive to keep your spirits high. While this is generally appreciated, it might not always be the most helpful approach.
A notable example of a situation where self-awareness overrides positivity is when filing insurance claims. In these cases, there is no room for optimism. Comments like, "Well, we don’t know what another 12 months of rehab might bring so let’s wait and see," are out of place. Whether it's a Total Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance claim or an ongoing disability support program such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), optimism can distort reality.
Insurance assessors look for reasons to deny claims. Any optimistic remarks may provide grounds for denial. Therefore, it's not the time for false bravado or assertions that everything will improve in the future. Instead, it's the moment to exhibit self-awareness and present a realistic representation of your situation.
Consider how your disability impacts your work. In my case, I speak for a living. I lead a team, collaborate with partners, make media appearances, and lobby politicians. Consequently, when my speech was impaired due to a neural pathway being damaged, my professional abilities were significantly hampered.
My wife, however, finds the newfound peace and quiet at home rather pleasant.
The loss of control of my right hand has also had substantial implications. I now require a specialized orthopedic pen to scribble my barely legible signature, and so a secretarial position is clearly out of the question. Tech enthusiasts may suggest I type instead, but even after rehabilitation, I struggle to move my fingers independently. Thus, typing is an arduous task, straining my hand and requiring breaks.
This issue also bleeds into domestic tasks. I find myself constantly dropping things when tidying the kitchen, and after a few close calls, I now delegate the cleaning of kitchen knives to my chef wife.
Yet, the essence of all this lies in self-awareness. My description of my situation changes daily, influenced by my mindset that day. I recognize that others may face more severe impacts due to their stroke or live with greater disability-related challenges. Simultaneously, I don't let this diminish my own experiences or the struggles I will continue to face. While staying positive is always my goal, I strive to remain self-aware above all.
