I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years ago. Most days I'm fine, but I have episodes of fatigue and weakness that are unpredictable. I never know when my body will betray me. Before the diagnosis, I was training for an Ironman. Now I can barely finish a 5K some days. I've had to scale back at work, cancel trips, disappoint people. Some people tell me to "listen to my body" and accept my limitations. Others say I should "fight through it" and not let the disease define me. My neurologist says both approaches have merit depending on the day. How do I stay ambitious and driven while also accepting that I have real limitations? Is it giving up to pace myself, or wisdom? — Warrior With a Broken Sword in Washington
Limitations and ambition. Roosevelt's strenuous overcoming meets Curie's strategic sacrifice.
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years ago. Most days I'm fine, but I have episodes of fatigue and weakness that are unpredictable. I never know when my body will betray me. Before the diagnosis, I was training for an Ironman. Now I can barely finish a 5K some days. I've had to scale back at work, cancel trips, disappoint people. Some people tell me to "listen to my body" and accept my limitations. Others say I should "fight through it" and not let the disease define me. My neurologist says both approaches have merit depending on the day. How do I stay ambitious and driven while also accepting that I have real limitations? Is it giving up to pace myself, or wisdom? — Warrior With a Broken Sword in Washington
Theodore Roosevelt
"The credit belongs to the one in the arena—overcome weakness through determined effort"
49 votes
Marie Curie
"Nothing in life is to be feared, only understood—including your own body"
36 votes
85 votes total
Full Positions
From Etiquette
"The credit belongs to the one in the arena—overcome weakness through determined effort"
I was a sickly child who could barely breathe. I built my body through sheer will because I refused to accept limitation. But I also learned to fight wisely—some days I charged, some days I rested. The strenuous life does not mean constant war. It means never surrendering the will to fight.
From Pierre Curie
"Nothing in life is to be feared, only understood—including your own body"
I pushed my body until it failed me, and I do not regret the work I accomplished. But I also recognize now that strategic rest might have extended my years. Your MS is a variable, not a verdict. Study it. Learn its patterns. Pace yourself on bad days so you can push on good ones. This is not giving up—it is science.