Success.

When you're living with a chronic illness, it's easy to feel like you're dealing with one failure after another. It's easy to feel like you're nothing but unsuccessful, and even the smallest success seems miles away. 

But, I've learned that looking at things that would just seem like day to day activities before you were sick as accomplishments and successes now is the only way to do it. It doesn't have to outwardly seem like a big deal in order for you to consider it a success. It doesn't have to even be outwardly visible at all. The smallest things can be the biggest successes. 

Some days getting out of bed is all you can do. Success? Yes. 

Some days you can get some house work done or go for a walk. Success? Absolutely. 

And some days just making it through another day seems like the biggest accomplishment of your whole life. And that is no less of a success than passing a test, running a race, or getting a new job. 

Like so many other things with a chronic illness, success is relative. 

Today, I swam for the first time in over two years. I was allowed back in a pool for the first time since I got my first port. I feel like I ran a marathon. The smell of the chlorine was ridiculously overwhelming. My whole body hurts. But it was so exciting! And I definitely feel successful today. 

So, if you're dealing with a chronic illness--Lyme or otherwise--if you're going through anything that makes your life feel tough right now, even if you're just having a bad day...write your own definition of success. 

You can do it. You can succeed. I believe in you.