Focus on your ABILITIES

(Tricia Downing -USA Triathlon’s Physically Challenged Athlete of the Year for 2003)

I saw a news story last night about a paraplegic French backpacker who is on adventure tour around Australia to highlight the capabilities of physically challenged people. This coincides with Queensland's Disability Action Week and for me it is a perfect reminder of how many of us focus on our own negatives rather than the positives. He was out there wind surfing! In a wheel chair!

I say it's time we take a lesson from the physically challenged people of the world who live by the words "focus on my abilities, not my disabilities". So many of us, without disabilities tend to whine and complain about superficial things-picking ourselves apart-focusing on all of our own negatives. Why? What is the point? It's a very unhealthy, non-productive waste of time and energy! When I look at what so many of these people who are  paraplegics, amputees, and with heaps of other assumed physically limiting disabilities and see them accomplish some of the most mind boggling things (mountain climbing, triathlons, kayaking, sailing, you name it!), it really reminds me that I have NOTHING to complain about and should just get on with the task-whatever it may be. And stop pointing out my own supposed limitations and focus on what I am good at. That's what the physically challenged people do; they focus on their own strengths and utilise those to the max.

We could all accomplish so much more if we stopped wasting time focusing on our negatives and utilise our positives!  

Ciao for now!