There are literally thousands of catch phrases out there, but this one stands out from the crowd. “Life Happens – Live It!” or LHLI for short, goes way beyond a catchy line, and truly represents a lifestyle with a powerful mindset. I am a 26 year old quadriplegic, whose challenges just start at the wheelchair. In 2008 my world was turned upside-down by the terrifying snap of a broken neck, when a one second decision changed every second for the rest of my life. After a few days of sobbing and semi conscious mourning, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was about to pop. Mom’s stress level was through the roof, and it started to push me over the edge. Straining against the hard plastic neck brace, I turned my head as far is it would go and whispered, “Mom, would you just chill! It is what it is.” This was a defining moment in my life, and signaled a change from the victim to the victor. None of us had any clue at the time that “LHLI” had just been created.
You’re probably ready to yell, “So what the heck is LHLI?” Calm down, here it comes. LHLI represents a commitment to a positive “can do” attitude, an adapt and overcome mentality, the ability to balance problems with perspective, intense focus, a desire to reach goals no matter what, and the presence of mind to appreciate the moment with a thankful smile. Is that clear as mud? Haha, well that’s what this blog is for. Don’t worry if that description doesn’t sound like you right now, because my goal is to help you get there.
I can promise you that every story I write comes from tough lessons learned while trying to claim victory over the chair. Your chair probably doesn’t look like mine, but my upcoming blogs will give you the tools to triumph over whatever is holding you back. It’s definitely not easy, and I’ll be the first to admit a positive attitude doesn’t just make your problems go away, but it does open up doors for change to happen. To me “success” will be a thriving career as an inspirational speaker and author, making enough money to hire a caregiver so I can earn independence once again. The challenges for this goal stack as high as the ceiling, but I really look forward to sharing with you the strategies I use to figure out these complex road blocks. Let me know what kind of “wheelchairs” are in your way, and tell as many of your friends as you can about this new LHLI community, because reaching out to as many people as possible helps me to turn the worst thing that happened to me into one of the best. Thanks for joining me and I will be in touch soon!
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