Fighting Parkinson's

Rocky runs up the long rows of steps, the steam of his breath shooting into the cold Philadelphia air. His gray tattered sweat clothes soaked with perspiration had no sponsor’s logo on it, no media there to impress, and no fanfare cheering him on. There was nothing there to tell anyone what was driving him to push his body to its physical limits. When he reaches the top of the steps, he turns raising his hands triumphantly. He had not fought Apollo Creed yet. The victory he was celebrating was over himself.

The biggest opponent we normally face in life is ourselves. Overcoming fear, doubt, our own insecurities, and inner demons, add to that the doubters and naysayers and unforeseen obstacles, victory in life can often be elusive. Rocky was a long shot, a down and out club fighter whose best years were behind him, a true underdog. How many times in life do people find themselves the underdog?

At some point in all of our lives we all have been there, the chips of life stacked against us. Where does our motivation, our inspiration come from to meet this challenge? What keeps a person on that path to persevere over life’s obstacles?

It would be wonderful if we could hear inspirational music every time we needed that extra motivation to stay on track, to fight harder. Rocky heard that music clearly. It told him to wake up and drink the eggs, to get out and run before the sun had risen. The music he heard was a symphony of self inspiration that was performed in his own mind over and over again pushing him to face his challenge. I can hear that inspirational score, the wonderful piece of music composed for the film. It has been played time and time again in countless sport venues when a team is down, telling them it's time to reach inside themselves to push past the fatigue, past the fear to do what seemed impossible and overcome adversity.

We fight Parkinson's every single day, a test of our will, a championship fight for many simply to make it through that day, but we fight that fight. Like Rocky we need to wake up and hear that music, a loud symphony that inspires us. When do you decide that you will hear the music and do what is not easy, but necessary to take control of your life? What is your plan, what is going to make you reach down day in and day out to reject failure and strive to only accept success in anything you do? How do you get up after life knocks you down? You have to want to. The will to fight is borne in each of us. The question is what are you going to do about it? Will you fight for your wife, husband, children, family, friends or simply to let someone else know you are not alone in this, that there are many just like you who refuse to take a knee and be counted out? Ding…ding…life’s bell has rung, come out fighting!

I'm Pat Younts and I Move to Live.