I have discovered it to be even more so over the last 2 months. Somehow I hurt my foot over fourth of July when our son came for a visit and taught me how to play Disc Golf. I noticed after he went home that the heel of my foot started hurting. I then discovered that this was Planters Fasciitus which can be very painful. I have had friends who have experienced this and dealt with it in the past and I did not fully understand their whining about it, until it hit me!! I have had to fight to not give in to this pain, which at times, has been brutal. I have done daily exercises, massages, heat, ice, you name it, I think I have tried any home remedy for the pain to stop. I bought a great pair of support shoes and for much of the summer have thrown my flip flops into the closet and worn nothing but what I call, “old people shoes”!!  But in all of this, I have learned that I can choose what I am going to dwell on and focus on. I must say, that on certain days, the struggle to choose to go out and be active with friends, has been very real. Now, on the flip side, once I determined that I was not going to allow this pain to rule me, I have continued to go and do and be with friends and family over the summer and live and laugh in spite of this pain. You can determine to rise above what is in your face at the moment, whether that is a physical condition, a relationship pain, things that look pretty bleak in our country, financial troubles, career troubles, whatever. You get to choose each day how you are going to handle the tough stuff in your world at that moment. You can become bitter or better. Don’t allow your circumstances or situations to control you. Take charge of how you are going to respond to it. You can only think of one thing at a time and if you are busy focusing on the negative, it will effect everything around you. I encourage you, if you have been stuck on the negative and missing out on the good all around us,( there really is good in the world)  just for today, try to determine you are going to be thankful and focus on the beauty that is all around us.