2022 Will Be the Year I Leave Fear Behind

New Year’s seems to hold a different meaning for everyone. Some see it as an opportunity to chug champagne, while others dedicate their time to brainstorming resolutions. I’ve never been very excited about the holiday. I’m not a big drinker, and have failed at too many resolutions to attempt any more.

But my perspective has shifted due to my myasthenia gravis journey and the tumultuous past two years. I now view New Year’s Day as an opportunity not to think of new things to achieve, but to decide what is and isn’t worth bringing into the new year.

I’ve lived with MG for 10 years. The first two years were very tough — the severity of my symptoms was unpredictable, and my mental health was at an all-time low. Even though I’ve been in remission for five years now, I still live in constant fear of MG. I’ve always been afraid that one day I’ll wake up and be too weak to move.

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But I’ve learned an important lesson this year: Life is too short to live in fear. What do I get out of being scared all the time? Does it help me in any way? The short answers to those questions are “nothing” and “no.”

So as we transition into 2022, I’m deciding to leave the fear behind and embrace the unknown. I can worry and stress about every unknowable event, but that won’t change whether it happens or not. So why should I worry? That’s just using up time I could spend being happy. I’d rather be positive, because if the bad thing happens, at least I was enjoying my time before. I can save my worry for a time when it’s absolutely necessary.

2022 will be the first year I stick with a resolution — not just for a year, but for a lifetime. Out with the fear and in with the unknown. I can control very few things in life, so I will let go of fear and accept that I have no idea what will happen next week, much less next year. I’m done letting MG and other worrisome ideas control me. I will make the choice to enjoy every second of 2022 and beyond.

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