Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve! - Andrew Carnegie

Hepatitis C advocacy is simultaneously the most wonderful and most frustrating pursuit. It is frustrating when justice, commonsense, simple decency, and all the “shoulds” of life are disregarded. In short, my expectations of how the world should work are not being met. One shining example came from recent headlines, "Justin Bieber Allegedly Spits on Man, Prompts Hep Tests." These headlines leave me spitting mad. Isn’t hepatitis C stigmatized enough without falsely linking it to saliva?

I can’t sustain anger for long. However, it can be tempting to descend to despair. Fortunately, I don’t linger in the dumps for very long because someone usually says exactly what I need to hear by way of an email message, a Facebook post, or a blog comment. It is the best medicine for the doldrums as it reassures me that the world is in good hands. Your words lift me up, re-energize me, and remind me that we are raising awareness and changing the world. Thank you for being here with me.

I am sure Carnegie’s words are true--we are on the threshold of success.