NF Action
"And I ask questions not just for the sake of asking them—but because, today, I can and I must help find answers that work. Knowledge without application is a waste of brainpower. Awareness without action is a waste of principle."- Sen. Loren Legarda,
Commencement Address
University of the Philippines, 24 June 2018
In my quest to seek answers to the question of how best to serve the neurofibromatosis (NF) community and the people around me in general given my current limitations, I was met with a string of rejections, disappointments, dead ends, and hanging questions. It has made me wonder if I am doing things wrong, if this is worth it at all or if I should give up instead and do something else, if there is anything there for me at all. It has made me question my abilities, my motivation, my self-worth.
In my previous blog post, I referenced a quote by Iroh from Avatar who said that in the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.
So what do you do when you are faced with a constant stream of rejection and disappointment? In the darkest of times, you shine a light.
Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.
And then sometimes life just surprises you with an answer that was not at all in line with what you were expecting.
Because maybe you just aren't asking the right questions. Maybe you are limiting yourself to a particular track when there is in fact not just one single answer to what you seek. Maybe you just haven't noticed that other doors are opening when you are knocking somewhere else.
Such as what happened last week when I was suddenly presented with the opportunity to talk about NF at a local radio show. What? I'm not fond of public speaking and I cannot hear a whole conversation without having to ask "Say again?" one too many times, so the idea of sitting there doing an on-air and on-screen live interview on mainstream media was not a situation I had particularly envisioned myself to be in.
It wasn't an answer I was expecting, but I took it anyway. How can I not? Awareness without action is a waste of principle. And as Paulo Coelho said, “Seize every opportunity that life offers you because, when opportunities go, they take a long time to come back.” Indeed, looking back, this mission to help #EndNF has led me to situations and brought me to places I never imagined to be in. So far I have not regretted saying yes to these plot twists and taking that leap of faith.
It is a small thing, but for this cause, every little bit helps. In this community, we shine a light to find our inner strength, and then hold it up high to help others find their own.
Today, I can and I must help find answers that work.
#NFAction
#EndNF 💙💚
You can watch our radio show segment below:
Radyo Singko, 92.3 News FM
Metro Sabado | June 23, 2018
With Alex Tinsay & Izza Reniva-Cruz
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