Free, Independent, and Completely
in Control
There are many times during ones journey of life
when an unexpected detour occurs, where one reaches a fork in the road, and at
that fork there are two pathways. The first more defined way is to continue on
the current rocky and uncertain path, or the second way is break off the path
and blaze a new trail. Both paths still come with their own unique challenges
and situations, but the new trail promotes a better understanding and a deeper
connection to knowledge while ultimately supporting in the achievement of ones
dreams. Which path do you take?
To gain a better meaning for life and acquire
knowledge one must invest their time in activities that promote growth. One
such activity can be as simple as watching online videos from the comfort of
your couch. TED.com is devoted to promoting Ideas Worth Spreading, which
is also the companies tag line. The purpose of TED is to bring together the
best thinkers and doers in the three worlds of Technology, Entertainment, and
Design; and challenge them to talk about their lives in eighteen minutes or
less.
Featured on their website TED.com, one can view the best talks and
performances online for free. While doing this I came across a video that has
special significance with me. Amy Prudy is a name that many of us haven’t
come across before, but is also the name of an amazing person who has an
equally as fascinating story.
Amy is now a professional snowboarder with many
titles under her belt, but had many challenges and obstacles she has had to get
over before this. When Amy was nineteen years old, she begin to experience
flu-like symptoms, soon after she was rushed to the hospital in septic shock
while experiences respiratory and multiple organ failure on the way. Doctors
diagnosed Prudy with Bacterial Meningitis and following the diagnosis Amy
remained in a coma for nearly three weeks with a two-percent chance of
survival. But that’s not it, due to the lack of circulation she suffered during
the beginning phases of the virus, doctors had to amputate both her legs below
the knees, remove her ruptured spleen, kidneys, and Amy also loss hearing in
her left ear.
The significance of Amy’s story really struck home
for me because I lost my oldest sister Nakia, to Bacterial Meningitis in 1995.
She was only 17 years old, two years younger than Amy. Unlike Amy, my sister
was discharged from the hospital the same day with a diagnosis of the flu, and
unfortunately she passed away a few hours later in her sleep.
But Amy’s story gave me hope! Many people would not
be able to make it back from an ordeal such as hers, but Amy’s resilience
really spoke volumes to me. Amy encourages the audience to take control of
their lives and limits, by drawing inspiration from life’s obstacles. The
defining moment when Amy decided to let the old Amy go and embrace the new is
when she said “If my life is a book, and I’m the author, how would I want the
story to go.” I believe that many of us can draw inspiration from Amy’s
story especially dealing with ones imagination and creativity.
“Our boarders and our obstacles can only do two
things. #1 Stop us in our tracks. Or #2 force us to get creative.” Amy states
in the video that most may see what happened to her as a disability but she
says her “legs did not disable but enabled her,” to be more creative,
courageous, and truly propel her off of the boarders.
Finally I just want to restate Amy’s lasting
message; She believes “that our imagination can be used to break down
boarders, because in our minds we can do anything, and be anything. Its
believing in those dreams and facing our fears head on that allows us to live
our lives beyond our limits.”
Take some time and view her inspiring story
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_purdy_living_beyond_limits.html
Peace
& Blessings
-RB
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