“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” Steve Jobs
“You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.” Deepak Chopra
A View from the Past: Several years ago (14 August 2016), I wrote a blog post entitled “Believe in Life in the Presence of Parkinson’s” (click here to read it). This blog post was a reaction to my helping a group of physical therapists teach other PTs and trainers how to underteach the PWR!Moves exercise routine. The instructors needed ‘volunteers’: those with Parkinson’s and a willingness to be led through these exercise routines.
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” Anatole France
Life Happens: Every day you wake up, the life clock starts moving forward. Yes, your companion named Parkinson’s is still along for the ride. You can’t compromise your life now, because this passenger makes demands on your body and your brain. However, there are still ways to lessen its hold on you.
Your life experiences now require you to try to sleep well, eat better, and pursue an exercise regimen that challenges you. If it challenges you, your heartbeat rises and your muscles strain, which is a sign that Parkinson’s is losing its grip. With time, not measured in weeks but likely years, the stranglehold of Parkinson’s may lessen, a sure sign of neuroplasticity. There is no guarantee; however, the risk of not slowing the dreaded disease and its consequences is real. Over time, your mind and your body will continue to succumb to the disease.
“I believe things will work out for us if we just believe in ourselves.” Jennifer Crusie
There is no picnic with Parkinson’s: There are no easy paths to follow while living with this disorder. There is no message to soften the reality of the disorder. Your own resilience and belief system have to fuel the fire of resistance. Any words spoken here are not meant to offer false hope. No, I am absolutely convinced of the merits of exercise as a resource for the individual with Parkinson’s to withstand the constant assault of Parkinson’s. So if my words stoke the fire within you, use it to grasp a foothold. There is no rah-rah in my words, only a simple sincerity to keep going. There are many like you. Each day, they wake up and readdress their Parkinson’s. Every day, they wonder, too: am I doing enough? Doing something is always better than doing nothing, so yes, with your effort comes a feeling of life ahead.
“Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” Helen Keller
Hope and Believe: In my office, I have the following words taped to a sheet of paper on the wall: “Focus on hope.” This is right next to the “BELIEVE” sign, like the one shown over the soccer team’s dressing room in Ted Lasso. They speak to me. It’s a good thing to focus on hope, especially when you consider all the ‘crap’ that can happen to someone with Parkinson’s. And you got to believe that things, life, and the world can get better. They are key words for a positive life.
“Hope is a renewable option: If you run out of it at the end of the day, you get to start over in the morning.” Barbara Kingsolver
Health and Wellness and a Wellness Plan: What is health and what is wellness? In a recent work just published (Church, Frank C., Jill C. Rau, and Stefania Brotini. 2026. “Parkinson’s Disease: Pathophysiology, Treatment Strategies, Wellness Approaches, and Obstacles/Paths Forward” NeuroSci 7, no. 4: 93. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci7040093), we tried to find reasonable ways to describe health and wellness. We searched for a good definition of health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is a resource for daily life, enabling people to manage stress, work effectively, and contribute to their community.”
What about wellness? What does it mean? We found that the Institute of Wellness defines wellness as “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.”
Then how do we take these words and craft them for Parkinson’s? We reasoned that “health is a state of being, with wellness in Parkinson’s involving active lifestyle choices that promote health.”
Can you develop and live by a wellness plan? Ultimately, the goal is to slow Parkinson’s progression while sustaining a high quality of life. If you could freeze the progression from this day on, would that be enough? Obviously, ask your neurologist for help; ask your physical therapist, family members, and anyone who knows you, including close friends. Plan for your wellness plan to be good enough, not necessarily great. See our paper cited above for more information about a wellness plan.
“Hope is passion for what is possible.” Soren Kierkegaard
Believe in Life and Strive for Wellness in Parkinson’s (from 2016 to 2026)
I see myself as a healthy individual who happens to have Parkinson’s,
and I hold these beliefs:
Get better and stay that way with exercise.
Sustained, vigorous exercise promotes neuroplasticity and helps the brain rewire.
Believing in hope helps manage this condition.
Persistence gives strength to confront the disorder.
In the past year, my resilience in fighting Parkinson’s has diminished.
Rewriting this statement has reinforced the resolve to resist.
I believe improving and maintaining health comes through regular exercise.
Even as the disease slowly progresses, resisting requires a total effort.
Embracing an exercise philosophy can potentially slow disease progression.
Take exercise and life one day at a time; the effort will be acknowledged.
Believe in the advances that are making their way to our clinics.
While we always want giant strides, accept that some progress is made daily.
Believe in Parkinson’s science and understanding of this complex disease.
Every molecule investigated and pathway mapped brings us closer to the solution.
Exercise, paired with hope, positivity, and perseverance, benefits me every day.
May these traits offer all a chance to better control Parkinson’s.
Believe that the path being followed leads to wellness.
A daily affirmation: “Never give up; refuse to surrender to Parkinson’s.”
Click here to download a photo with these words overlaid.
“Yes, Parkinson’s is scary; it has a strange nature in how it attacks us, and we are all a different product of this disease. Thus, it is easy to live a fearful life of this disorder. By contrast, learning as much as possible about Parkinson’s will help you understand the process. Exercising as much as you can will give you a better grip on its progression. It is easy to say, do not turn your back to this disorder; instead, face it up front and focus. Yet, you have much intrinsic strength to face the fear of Parkinson’s; please use this strength.” Frank C. Church
Cover photo image from Frank C. Church
Journey with Parkinson's 
