Like every creature in the animal world, human beings have a fierce instinct for survival. The will to live—that instinct to fight when our lives are threatened by illness or some other crisis—is a natural impulse in all of us.
Yet some people are easily destroyed by the mental and physical effects of disease while others call on inner resources to sustain them through the experience. Why do some people respond positively to suffering while others cannot endure? Maybe the survivors have learned to be resilient by coming through earlier crises, becoming strong, tough and confident in the process. Maybe the small flame of gritty determination that makes us keep struggling at even the lowest ebb just burns brighter in some than in others. But the most important reason may be hope.
Many doctors have seen how two patients of similar ages, with the same diagnosis and degree of illness and the same treatment program, experience vastly different results. And the only noticeable difference between the two was that one person was pessimistic and the other was optimistic.
Hope, courage, effort, determination, endurance, love and faith all nurture the will to live. And the greatest of these is hope. There may be times when you feel exhausted and overwhelmed by never-ending problems, when you feel ready to give up the struggle to survive. Yet if you have hope you can carry on.
As long as there is even a remote chance for survival, as long as there are even minor improvements, hope can be kindled and nurtured. As long as your family, friends and support team keep a positive attitude, hope can see you through any crises or times of reversal.
