It is incredibly important when dealing with any kind of long-term illness to maintain a sense of direction and remain positive. It is so easy to sink into a depressed state of frustration and fear but this weakened mental state will do nothing to improve your health.
When dealing with M.E. you are often faced with having the condition for many years and possibly, for the rest of your life but this does not mean that you will be ill forever, more it suggests that you need to modify your lifestyle to suit your abilities and keep a healthy outlook through body and mind.
I know non-ME sufferers who become ill simply because they think they will be or are looking for the next bad thing to happen. This is not a healthy way to live your life. Life is too short to concentrate on the negatives, which is why I tend to give the news a lot less attention than I used to.
It is much more uplifting to concentrate on the positive aspects of your life, to revel in your achievements to enjoy the company of friends and family around you, to witness the crisp winter mornings and sultry summer evenings; to enjoy living.
It is also helpful to recognise your own feelings. If you can say to yourself (and not out loud or to others) that you are in a state of anger or sadness, your brain can reverse this and by employing such a technique you are also coming to a better understanding of yourself.
That in, essence is what M.E. does for you. There may be those who argue that there are no benefits to this illness but I totally disagree. Without M.E. I would lack direction, determination and enthusiasm and would not have reached 30 and come to understand myself as well as I do.
M.E. will give you time to reflect. Use this time to appreciate and comprehend yourself, to discover the everyday things that bring you pleasure and always aim for something, no matter how daft or far-fetched it seems.
That, my friends, is being positive and is as good a reminder as any, especially at a time for me when I am feeling quite poorly, that you get back what you give out.
Don't just take my word for it 
Here are some inspiring quotes to help you maintain that positive focus:
"If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one." Cavett Robert
"The only disability in life is a bad attitude." Scott Hamilton
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." Buddha
"Being in a good frame of mind helps keep one in the picture of health." Author Unknown
