Fear is the Biggest Disability of All.

What many people have failed to understand is that having a physical disability does not make me any different from anyone else. In fact, I live a pretty normal life.

Life has a funny way of teaching us lessons along the way. Sometimes, I can't help but wonder who I'd be without my disability, but I do know one thing for certain. If erasing Cerebral Palsy from my life meant that it would also take away all of the vaulable lessons I have learned, I would choose to stay exactly the way I am right now. I love my life because of what I have learned. Having a disability has taught me that it is truly the small things in life that are of the most importance. I have realized that it is not about what happens to you. It is about what you make of your life that really matters. Even though some days have proved to be more difficult than others, I have chosen to make the best of what each day has to offer. Some say that despite being in a wheelchair, I have no fear. But I am afraid of missing out on opportunities because I chose to use my disability as an excuse. Once we make the choice to embrace our challenges rather than look at them as a hinderance, a world of infinite possibilities begins to open up. Fear is the biggest disability of all!

Throughout my life, I have been blessed with amazing opportunities that have enriched my life in so many ways. I have learned how to ski. I have developed a passion for motivational speaking and, I am a college student whose dream is to one day become an educator. This week, I had the privelege of joining the children that I work with at the after school care program for part of their camping trip. I have said before that my job is incredibly rewarding because I feel as though I am making a difference in the lives of the children , which is very humbling. And, Thursday night was no exception.

As we were sitting around the camp fire, I had some time to talk with a young man who needed some encouragement named, Jaxon. I shared with him that there have been many times in my life where I thought it would be easier to throw in the towel, rather than keep moving foward. Looking back on it now, each one of those opportunities probably would not have presented themselves had I chose to use my disability as an excuse.

Something as simple as a positive attitude and a smile may seem so insignificant, but they are both so powerful. They changed my life!

In last week's blog post, I wrote about my experience at the swimming pool. For those of you who have been asking, here is a picture.