It doesn’t surprise me that Ron Lieber of The New York Times used this headline recently for his article about disability: “The Odds of a Disability Are Themselves Odd.” He clearly shows the confusion that surrounds your chances of becoming disabled.

But is the issue really about your odds of becoming disabled? Or is it the fact that you don’t know if you will be the one to become disabled or not? Because of that uncertainty, you need to make sure that if anything were to happen that you’ve empowered yourself with the choice and control you want.

Let me explain. Not only am I a financial advisor who sells disability insurance, I am someone who suffered a disabling accident. It was my group and individual disability insurance plans that gave me choices and control over my life. Because I had income protection plans, I was able focus on recovery and rehabilitation, I could ask for a second opinion, and I could choose in-home care. Because I had that income, I didn’t have to sell my assets and move in with my parents, and I could maintain my lifestyle. In essence, disability insurance protected my paycheck by ensuring that I would continue to receive an income even if I was unable to work.

As I was sitting on that dock before my water skiing accident—young, healthy and athletic, my odds of becoming disabled might have been 80% or 52% or 10%. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that moments later it was 100%.

As an industry, we need change the way we speak about our product. By doing so, we can make it easier to have a conversation with people about how they can protect their incomes and preserve their lifestyle from the unexpected. We can show that disability insurance helps people protect their paychecks to pay their bills, pay for rehabilitation, keep their businesses running, safeguard their assets and preserve their retirement dreams.

It’s not about disability at all. Instead, it’s about giving people the ability to have choices and to be in control of their financial lives.

As a consumer, I urge you to educate yourself and work with a trusted advisor with disability insurance expertise (read 5 Tips for Finding the Right Advisor) so you can make an informed decision on the value of protecting your paycheck. There’s nothing “odd” about that—just intelligent planning, and taking personal responsibility. To help get you started, visit the section on LIFE’s website dedicated to disability insurance.