Recently, I shared a conversation with a gentleman who was introduced to disability. He said he feels stuck in how his life changed, how the goals he had set for himself disappeared and how he struggles to believe he could ever make new goals. Then he asked me a question which caused me to pause:
What did I do to get myself un-stuck.
I had to reflect on that. How did I get un-stuck? What encouraged me to release myself from the glue of mourning my loss? What came to mind right away was – I had to accept what happened. I found that if I didn’t, I was always going to be living in the past and never see a future, never see a goal.
I missed my life, where I didn’t have to think about getting from one place to another. I missed being clear in my actions, my thoughts, and mourned the loss of my physical abilities. I missed me. I was stuck. Why would I want to accept that? I thought what happened was it, it’s my life now – get used to it.
But…
I came to know that I was still me and I could use everything I learned, every big, little, exciting, fun, and even the crappy things I ever experienced to build a new future. They all became my hammer and nails to build what I want, just as I want. I became the architect of my life, my future, and my goals.
I invited all my experiences to become my strength and step away from the place I didn’t want to be. They were my tools to build a new place where I could live with a vision of how to extend positivity and hope. They helped me build a bridge to a city I get to design. I’m still designing it.
So, how about we pick up our tools and build our bridges and cities together. I’m working on a house with a pool right now.
