While victims are often negative, self-absorbed, defensive, unadventurous, and mentally stuck in their situation, survivors focus on making their current situation better. They focus on positives, and overcome circumstances many others could not.

This week I was discussing with a friend how both types of people came out of the bombing. Some people came out of this as strong survivors. They are now thriving, despite their physical limitations and injuries. They are running marathons, climbing rock walls with prosthetic limbs, back at work, changing lives. But there are also many who are stuck in the victim mentality. The victims want everyone to know they were in the bombing. They bring it into every conversation and have not moved past the tragedy. They cling to it as a reason for why their life is now limited. For why they are having a hard time, and as they wallow in their self-pity they are left behind.

Being a survivor is a conscious choice. You choose to keep going when things are hard, you choose to leave your self-pity and misery, you choose to start trying to find the positives. It is a constant uphill battle but, if you can change your mentality, it will change your life for the better. If you subscribe meaning to your disability and share this meaning with others, (that is why I am writing a book) you will not only come out as survivors, you will be victors and you will thrive!