I try to stay positive by focusing on how much I'll appreciate

The words of Daniel Johns — “I try to stay positive by focusing on how much I’ll appreciate my health if I get better.” — rise from the valley of suffering, where the body is frail but the spirit seeks light. They are not spoken by one who takes health for granted, but by one who has felt its absence and has learned to look toward the promise of restoration. In them lies the wisdom that even in illness, one may plant seeds of gratitude for the day of healing.

To remain positive in affliction is no small thing. Pain draws the mind downward, whispering despair; weakness tempts the heart to surrender. Yet Johns shows us that hope can be forged by turning one’s eyes to the future — not to dwell on loss, but on the joy that will come if health returns. Thus, his focus is not upon what is broken, but upon the sweetness of what will one day be whole. This is the alchemy of the spirit: to transform present suffering into tomorrow’s appreciation.

The ancients, too, understood this truth. Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher who lived his life in chains and infirmity, declared that misfortune itself is an opportunity to grow in strength of soul. Similarly, the story of Job tells of a man who endured sickness and despair, yet whose faith taught him to cherish life all the more when restoration came. These examples remind us that illness can sharpen the heart’s vision, teaching us the worth of what we once ignored.

To appreciate health after sickness is to see life anew. The man who has been hungry knows the joy of bread more deeply than one who has never starved. The woman who has suffered thirst cherishes the cup of water as a treasure. So too, the one who has been ill will rise with gratitude for every breath, every step, every sunrise. Johns’ words remind us that suffering, though bitter, can prepare the soul to taste joy more richly than ever before.

Let the generations remember: the gift of health is often unseen until it is lost. But even in sickness, the mind can choose to dwell on the promise of renewal, and in doing so, remain steadfast and positive. Daniel Johns’ words are not merely about survival, but about transformation — that suffering can teach us to treasure life more deeply, and that the hope of tomorrow can carry us through the darkness of today.