“Maybe being at rock bottom was the perfect place to start…I was about to embark on the most creative project that any of us could ever do – that of rebuilding a life. And even though I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do, in that uncertainty came a sense of freedom. I was no longer tied to a set path. I was free to explore life’s infinite possibilities.”
— Janine Shepherd, walking paraplegic, TEDx talk 8/28/12
Do you have a dream that you think you can’t achieve?
I’ve been struggling with time lately. The shortage of it. Trying to fit all my priorities into my days, or weeks, or months, or years. Juggling the immediate and the long range priorities. Time has become my obstacle. Because there are so many things I want to do.
And I know that time is just one of many obstacles that we confront in the pursuit of our dreams.
What if the obstacle was your body? Janine Shepherd, a champion cross country skier with Olympic dreams, faced this reality. As an athlete, her body was her identity. Janine The Machine they called her.
Until she was hit by a truck.
And her dreams changed.
I am willing to learn how to transcend this obstacle I call time. (I suspect it might have something to do with appreciating each moment.) I was inspired by listening to Janine Shepherd talk about how she discovered she can transcend the expectations and limitations of her body.
What gifts and strengths are contained in the obstacles you’re facing in your own life right now?