Michael J. Fox's inspirational talk of Parkinson's on Rachel Ray

Michael J. Fox, 49, was absolutely endearing on the Rachel Ray show on NBC Thursday afternoon. He is very obviously dealing with his Parkinson's disease with which he was diagnosed at thirty years old. Although it was apparent that it was difficult for him to sit still and difficult to talk, his conversation was eloquent and witty.

Michael J. Fox was extremely inspirational on the show. The audience roared with applause as he came out and sat down at Rachel's table. His first witty comment was, "This doesn't happen in my kitchen."

Michael talked about just having been on vacation with his family in the Caribbean and having gone on a trip to play golf (at which he says he was terrible). He talked about his poker game. It wasn't long before he brought something up about his Parkinson's Disease as he joked, "I have an advantage when I play poker because my whole body is a tell. You can't tell if I have aces or deuces." And he exaggerated his bodily movements which he controls as best he can at this point.

Rachel talked about the main "purpose" of why Michael was on the show today, and that was to talk about his inspiring book entitled, A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Future. The book talks about the fact that there is more than one way to get an education.

Michael's inspiration to write the book came from the fact that he never felt great about not graduating high school (he got his G.E.D.) and not going to college. His son just left for college, leaving him as the only male at home. Rachel and Michael joked about him being "outnumbered" by his wife and their three daughters. Michael added that even his dog is a female.

The book has some great advice and some chuckles, according to Rachel Ray. The message of the book, according to Michael is that you're going to get an education whether in school or not. Michael stated, "However you plan out your life or whatever courses you take, whatever degrees you get, your life is really going to get most interesting when it goes off the rails. When it blows up and when you have some loss or some misadventure. And if you're open to what happens next and you don't try to do something to change it, you just kind of accept it for what it is, you'll learn something and your life will improve."

Michael shared, "For me, the most obvious thing was being diagnosed with PD at 30, was not how I thought my life was going to go. But so many things with the foundation, with the way it made me re-evaluate my life, the way it made me re-evaluate time with my family, what my priorities were and the fact that I was able to start a foundation…"

Michael is still able to display his wonderful talent for acting. He is also playing his music. Most important to Michael; however, is his work with his foundation, called the Michael J. Fox's Foundation. He has already donated 175 million dollar to Parkinson's disease research. He thanked Rachel Ray for being a large donor to the cause.

Michael says, "None of this stuff falls out of the sky. It's really important to take the initiative, to push things and to ask questions of people we need to ask questions of and inspire the people we have been inspiring."

Everyone of us can make a conscience decision to make a difference, was what Rachel said to sum up the message about Michael's foundation. To donate to the foundation, click here.

One audience member whose mother has Parkinson's Disease asked Michael for advice on how the family can best deal with the situation. In sharing that many times people don't think he can do things on his own, Michael's reply was, "Let the person set the tone for what they need... It's about respect and we want to feel like we're whole."

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