| " never thought of losing, but now that it's happened, | | | | progression is not controlled. If I am not in the fight, |
| the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to | | | | the people I love can be losing their lives. |
| all the people who believe in me. We all have to take | | | | I look to replace the hit with something positive. I |
| defeats in life." ~Muhammad Ali | | | | never allow myself to end the round or the day with |
| We all get knocked down once in a while. Its part of | | | | a defeat. I will keep in the fight until I can gain some |
| what makes life interesting and it keeps us on our | | | | kind of victory - some kind hit back at what I am |
| toes. | | | | facing. It may be small, but it is my victory. |
| No one on this planet is going to dispute that getting | | | | And yeah, I do my strut around the ring with arms |
| told you are HIV positive is going to knock you | | | | held high... |
| down. Does it have to knock you out? | | | | Here are a few things you can do to deal with the |
| The life cycle of HIV is a series of challenges not too | | | | knockdowns: |
| far removed from a boxing match. (I am a big fight | | | | Focus Your Vision |
| fan so bear with me on this one.) Maybe you don't | | | | Where you focus your energy determines where |
| want to think of your life as being in the ring, but | | | | you will go. If you focus on the setback and the |
| help me to answer a few questions... | | | | challenges it brought you, you can't move forward. |
| Why do some of us take that first big punch and go | | | | However, when you focus your vision on what you |
| down in the ring never to get up? | | | | want your life with HIV to be, you're using the |
| Why do others take the killer jab and get up to | | | | setback for what it really is: a transition. |
| shake it off? It's not like we don't know another | | | | Make a Decision |
| punch is coming. | | | | Both success and failure are decisions. So once your |
| We all experience failure, setbacks, disappointments | | | | vision for your life with HIV is in place, you need to |
| and obstacles. There is no denying that a punch hurts | | | | decide you're going to win despite the setback. The |
| and that is okay. We are human. Bad tests, side | | | | truth is people who successfully overcome obstacles |
| effects and stigma hurt us. It's part of the deal of | | | | choose to be successful. They understand that |
| being positive and being in the ring. | | | | decision and choice are important parts of their plan |
| The difference is how long you let it keep you down. | | | | to live with HIV. No matter what setback they |
| Here is something I learned and recommend for you. | | | | encounter, they decide to overcome it and prevail. |
| What used to knock me out for 2 weeks I | | | | Take Action |
| eventually brought down to 2 days. Then I got it | | | | A decision without action is simply an illusion, and an |
| down to 2 hours and then 20 minutes. Now when I | | | | action without a vision is just confusion. Your vision |
| am knocked down, I give myself about 2 minutes to | | | | plus decisive action can change your world. |
| lie in the ring and then I shake out the cobwebs and | | | | Keep the Desire |
| get back to the fight. | | | | Desire is the degree of energy you're willing to exert |
| That referee is going to be counting down to a | | | | in order to reach your goal. In other words, how |
| knockout no matter what I do. The difference now | | | | badly do you want your life with HIV to be positive |
| is that I know what a knockout really is. I have seen | | | | and what are you willing to do in order to achieve it? |
| first hand what can happen if HIV disease | | | | |