If You Think You Can’t Do It “Because,” Take a Look at What These people Did “In Spite Of”

Every now and then we’ve probably all had moments of thinking we couldn’t do something because we were too old or too young, too dumb or too smart, too threatening or too intimidated, too experienced or too naïve. We may also have thought we couldn’t do something because of physical, mental or emotional limitations. At the same time, we may have people telling us we can’t because of the same considerations.

When you need some inspiration, here are some people who refused to be limited by their disabilities. In fact some of them were motivated by it.

As Maria Eagle, the UK’s Minister for Disabled People, said, in commenting on the winners for Greatest Disabled Britons, “It shows disability is certainly no barrier to greatness. In fact, in a lot of cases it acts as a spur.”

CAN’T DO IT BECAUSE YOU AREN’T PRIVILEGED?

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), dubbed the “Survey of Affluent Teenagers,” was no obstacle to a homeless teenager in California, who had been completely home-schooled. He just scored a perfect 800/800 on the SAT: http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/574672/detail.html .

TOO OLD?

Americans over the age of 65 outpaced all demographic groups entering the Internet “by staggering margins,” says CyberAtlas. Jupiter Research confirms: Older adults (50-64) and seniors (65+) were two of the fastest emerging demographic groups online.

TOO YOUNG?

According to CyberAtlas, roughly 17 million US surfers during September 2003 were between the ages of 2 and 17. That is not a typo. TWO!

BRAIN CHEMICAL CHALLENGES?

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, former prime minister of Great Britain and leader during World War II, was recently voted to Ouch’s Top Ten Greatest Disabled Britons (GDB). He suffered from depression for most of his life, or perhaps was bipolar. The depression, which he referred to as his “black dog,” became worse in later years. This is what lies behind the famous, “Never give up. Never. Never. Never. Never.” [Note: Ouch ( www.bbc.co.uk/ouch ) is BBC’s website that reflects life as a disabled person.]

LIONEL ALDRIDGE , a defensive end for Vince Lombardi’s legendary Green Bay Packers of the 60s, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in the 70s. While playing, he won three world championships, including two Super bowls. He now gives inspirational talks about his battle against paranoid schizophrenia.

PHYSICAL DISABILITY?

Voted Number One in Ouch’s poll of Greatest Disabled Britons was STEPHEN HAWKING, a world-renowned astrophysicist who is severely physically disabled. “The human race,” he said, “is so puny compared to the universe that being disabled is not of much cosmic significance.”

A victim of Motor Neurone Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, he basically lives in “a useless body”. For instance, with computer help, he is able to “speak” 15 words a minute. His site is here: http://www.hawking.org.uk but typically you will find little of his disability.

In case you are feeling sorry for yourself because you have an artificial knee or just had a hip replacement, take a look at these photos: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/bitch/bitchhawking.shtml .

Hawking holds the highest position available at Cambridge, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.

IAN DURY, a major pop star who was stricken with polio at the age of 7, received nearly one-third of the votes in the GDB poll. Dury, who died a couple of years ago, “strutted around stage with a stick, combining rock ’n’ roll, humor, wit and a stage presence,” said one review. “He was truly brave,” said an article in the Guardian Limited, “both physically and in the way he approached his music.”

He continued to perform while seriously ill with cancer in his final years. When he discovered the expensive drugs he was receiving were not available on the NHS, he devoted time to raising funds for an organization called CancerBACUP.

Described as “strikingly free of bitterness,” Dury said, “I’m 56, and I’ve probably had more fun and games than most people my age. I’ve had a good run. Musn’t grumble.”

Also making the list was DAVID BLUNKETT, Britain’s Home Secretary, who is blind. He is often photographed with his guide dogs, Ted, Offa and Lucy.

Did you know that JIM ABBOTT, (1967-present), has no right hand. A major league baseball pitcher, he won the Golden Spikes Award as the finest amateur baseball player in the US, played on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Baseball team and pitched a gold medal for the US team. He played baseball for the California Angels and was traded to the New York Yankees.

BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON [Lemon Jefferson Couchman], 1897-1929, blind from childhood, was the most popular male blues recording artist of the 1920s, making over 100 recordings the last four years of his life.

At the age of 13, WANG XUEFENG, who lives in Heilongjiang Province in China, began music training, although wheelchair-bound due to congenital osteomalacia. Four years laters he won the Instrumental Music, Special honor, and Newcomer Awards at the State Art performance of Disabled Persons.

HIKARI OE was born with a potentially fatal cranial deformity and went on to become a recognized composer of classical music. His first two CDS (Music of Hikari Oe and Music of Hikari Oe 2) have been best-sellers in his native Japan, with 300,000 sold worldwide.

NOT QUALIFIED?

SIR DOUGLAS BADER was continually told there was no regulation allowing someone in his condition to fly.

A World War II ace, in his youth, as member of the Royal Air Force, Sir Douglas Bader sustained a flying accident that left him a double amputee and was discharged. Determined to not only walk again, but fly again, he eventually was reinstated when WWII broke out and experienced pilots were needed.

A skillful pilot as well as an inspirational leader, he was awarded the Distinguished Services Order and the Distinguised Flying Cross for leadership and valor in action.

MORE

Compiled by the Alliance for Citizens with Disabilities Hillsborough County, Fla and The Mayor’s Alliance for Persons with Disabilities
Tampa, Florida, here are some famous individuals who have suffered from disabilities. For complete list go here, http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Mayor/Mayors_Alliance/famous_persons/index.asp

BIPOLAR
1.Ned Beatty, actor
2.Ludwig von Beethoven, composer
3.Art Buchwald, columnist
4.Tim Burton, actor
5.Robert Campeau, Canadian financier
6.Lewis Carroll, author of “Through the Looking Glass”
7.Dick Cavettm comedian and talk show host

EPILEPSY

1.Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France
2.Richard Burton, actor
3.Marion Clignet, cyclist, 1996 Olympic silver medal winner
4.Dante, Italian write, author of “The Inferno”
5.Leonardo Da Vinci, painter, artist, sculptor, painted the Sistine Chapel
6.Fyodor Dostoyevski, Russian author, “The Brother Karamazov” and “Crime and Punishment”
7.Alexander the Great, 356-323 BC, King of the Macedonians and conquieror of much of the known world at the time

Whatever your situation, don’t let it get you down and keep you down! If you need support, hire a coach and work on your emotional intelligence competencies. Resilience means being able to bounce back from adversity, setbacks and losses and includes being “strikingly free of bitterness.”

And draw inspiration from others who have had to live with hard things.

Whenever I read stories like these, I am humbled and look at things differently. I hope you'll be inspired too.