“Victory is something we accomplish in small ways every single day.  Victory is being able to get up in the morning and make up your mind to overcome whatever obstacles you encounter, and do the best you can possibly do today.  It is deciding that you are stronger than the overwhelming fear overshadowing you, and then picking yourself up when you are down.”  ---- Haseena Patel (I Choose Victory:  find light in the darkness of a life-changing crisis)

Hi, my name is Haseena Patel, and my book, I Choose Victory:  find light in the darkness of a life-changing crisis, is based on my personal life-changing crisis.  Together with this website, the book is the heart of a support structure to help the reader deal with his or her own crisis, and experience positive change, growth and ultimately victory through it - to enable the reader to find hope, identity, purpose, strength and education through the crisis.  My vision is to create a worldwide support network for people everywhere who are experiencing a crisis or supporting loved ones who are experiencing a crisis. 

Since you might not have purchased my book yet, I’ll briefly share my story with you so that you can get to know me better.  Perhaps you can identify with me in some way.  Perhaps what I say will give you some hope.

Ten years ago my sister was diagnosed with lupus.  The journey that followed this monumental moment, was so unplanned, so unreal.  Chemotherapy was something that I had heard about vaguely in the distance…it was something other people were treated with, not my sister.

It is amazing how in times of extreme tragedy or sadness, one finds hidden inner strength – a power that was never there before.  You stand tall and fight.  I almost stopped recognizing myself – I had become a different person…or perhaps I had just become more of the “me” that I did not know existed until now.  The amazing inner strength that I had developed was only a part of the change.  I started understanding more and becoming more compassionate.  I learned to judge less.

I also developed a really strong purpose – never in my life did I have such a burning desire to make a difference in the world through my writing and my new-born dream of becoming a naturopathic physician.  My life started to mean something, and I realized that it didn’t belong to me as I had always thought – it was a gift to be given to the world.  I was privileged to be alive and to be given a chance to make a difference.

You may think that I seem very enlightened and at peace, having come to the above realisation – not true!!  Yes, I have found a certain inner peace, but I still have to deal with my own demons – fear, anger and guilt.  Sometimes the fear is overwhelming.  When you have a loved one going through a health challenge, the constant fear and heartache can be paralysing.  Guilt gnaws at me whenever I think of what I’d rather be doing instead of being in this situation.  I choose to be here with my sister, supporting her.  We are doing this as a family, and I will be here for her until she heals.  Nevertheless, I am just as human as anyone else, and I do get irritable and grumpy from time to time.

Probably the most important realisation I have had in these ten years is that life is a journey of lessons and learning.  For me, the true success of any day is not in having a perfect day, but in learning something new or having some sort of epiphany – taking something from the day that I can hold on to for the rest of my life and apply in everything I do.  Life is filled with trials and tests, and we are constantly being sculpted from it.  But only we can determine whether we will be sculptures reflecting optimism and hope, or cynicism and bitterness.  Only we have that power of choice.  

Dear Reader, I know that you might be feeling alone right now.  You might be in the middle of a really difficult day; or perhaps it is late at night and you need to talk but it is too late to call anyone who makes up part of your support structure.  Perhaps you don’t feel up to talking on the phone because it’s just too much for you emotionally…Nevertheless you need some comfort, some form of human contact.  Please feel free to email me at haseena@ichoosevictory.com .  Usually, just writing the email and putting your worries into words will make you feel slightly better.  But I do want to assure you that I will reply to your email, just as I promised I would in my book.  I am here to support you.

- Haseena Patel