Another Ph.D.

A friend and colleague said to me "I give you an honorary Ph.D. in rehabilitation". Without thinking, my response was "this one is more difficult and more of a challenge" than my first doctorate. Today I realize the full impact of those words.

I always lived under the assumption, if you want to achieve goal "B", you devote 150% of your physical and mental energy through the blood, sweat and tears in step "A". I found out the hard way, first hand experience, THE SAME RULES NO LONGER APPLY!!.
  1. Accept what is, versus what could or should have been
  2. Be open and receptive to input and coaching from various therapists and therapies.
  3. Make every effort to incorporate what you learn from These "teachers" into your daily life.
  4. Do not walk around with a chip on your shoulder
  5. Become an expert on your limitations, and keep focusing On strategies to compensate.
  6. Always focus on maximizing your independence
  7. Focus on your strengths, not your limitations
  8. If you can't accomplish a goal or task, do not give up. Maybe tomorrow or next week you will succeed
  9. Do what is realistic
  10. Be goal oriented
  11. Never use the words "I can not"
  12. Look for white or gray, NOT black
  13. Wake up every morning with a smile on your face
  14. Find something productive to occupy your time
  15. Do not use your limitations or deficits as an excuse
  16. Develop a positive self-image
  17. It is okay to ask for assistance
  18. This will be a life long commitment and struggle
  19. There is life after brain injury
  20. I may have had bad luck or a bad break, but I am not a loser.

I now feel comfortable and deserving of an honorary doctorate in rehabilitation. My rationale is that I have been able to incorporate these twenty sentences into my life. Don't get me wrong, it is more difficult then the first one.

My message for individuals struggling with obstacles imposed by a traumatic brain injury, is to look and read carefully these twenty sentences. Make every effort to use them in your life. That is the method of obtaining your honorary Ph.D. in rehabilitation.

Kathy Greenberg, Ph.D.