Getting a little tired of the hundreds of articles and diabetes news stories reminding you that you are at serious risk for eye problems, kidney disease and the loss of your fingers and toes?

Me too.

We’re constantly hearing about the risks, the damage our bodies will endure if we don’t take care of ourselves. And it’s true that if you take care of yourself—really take care of yourself, really make diabetes a huge priority in your life—that you can avoid and prevent these serious problems.

So we’re being asked to do our best every day for the rest of our lives (of course, I think they’ll find a cure before I’m 40…but I want to be healthy by the time they find that cure). Anyways, my point is, it’s a lot work, it’s a lot of responsibility to make your body run correctly every day for years and years.

And some days, you just feel like it’s just too much to ask…so I have a suggestion. You see, my grandfather really loved this poem titled “Just For Today”… The idea is to just focus on today, on today’s blood sugars and today’s healthy food and exercise. Don’t think about the fact that tomorrow you might have a high blood sugar. Don’t think about having to do it every day.

Just for today, I will aim for healthy blood sugars. I will eat healthy foods and exercise for at least thirty minutes. Just for today I will check my blood sugar before every meal and before I exercise. Just for today I will drink lots of water and take my vitamins!

It’s just for today…

It’s not nearly as eloquent as the actual poem (which I’ve copied below)…but I think you get my point, right? It’s okay if you can't do it perfectly every day for the rest of your life. It’s okay if you mess up, but if you can start the next day with a fresh start and a fresh positive attitude, then you have that day to give it your best shot again!

Doing your "best" does not mean being PERFECT. Doing your best means you are doing everything you are capable of that day. You're living up to your fullest potential. Some days that may be closer to perfect than others. Some days your fullest potential may involve several high blood sugars, and you'll do what you can that day to bring your blood sugar down to normal. The next day is not defined by the day before. The next day is a new day to do the best you can.

When my blood sugar hits 300 in the middle of the day because I took less insulin than usual for my lunch before exercising to prevent a low blood sugar, or I ate a delicious dessert and had to estimate the carbohydrates, it’s obviously not good for my body—but it doesn’t mean that that day was a failure. It is just today. And I can take that information to plan better for next time.

It is information. Don’t let the overwhelming days feel like some kind of report card. You don’t get an “D-“ for the day as a person with diabetes just because you didn’t do it all perfectly.