Second Chance to Live and Public Speaking

My message is to motivate, encourage and empower people with and with out disabilities to consider the possibilities. My diverse academic and hands on experience with in the fields of nursing, physical education, theology, counseling and with in both the funeral and cemetery industries equip me with the ability to speak to a wide range of topics as they relate to living life on life’s terms. Second Chance to Live incorporates my experience, strength and hope.

As a traumatic brain injury survivor and a master’s level rehabilitation counselor who has lived with an invisible disability for over 40 years I bring a fresh and unique perspective to any audience.

I believe that our circumstances are not meant to keep us down, but they are meant to build us up. I believe our circumstances provide the learning environment that teaches you and I lessons. As we learn from those lessons we gain experience. Our experiences prepare you and I to take advantage of the opportunities that become available to us. I believe those opportunities in turn prepare you and I to take advantage of future opportunities. Collectively, I believe our opportunities point us in the direction of our destinies.

Please read my post, Following your bliss…regardless

I am available to speak at your church, conference or convention. Please leave a comment or a confidential email and I will be in touch with you. I look forward to being a part of your vision.

Have a simply phenomenal day.

Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA
Second Chance to Live

Our circumstances are not meant to keep us down, but they are meant to build us up!

All material presented on Second Chance to Live is copyright and cannot be copied, reproduced, or distributed in any way without the express, written consent of Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA

Endorsements / Testimonials

Endorsement

Spring, 2008To Whom It May Concern:

This open letter endorses the powerful message Mr. Craig Phillips, MRC, BA, eloquently writes about as creator and author of the website, Second Chance to Live, (http://secondchancetolive.wordpress.com/), and speaks about as an advocate and motivational speaker for people living with brain injury. Hinds’ Feet Farm is thankful that Mr. Phillips is part of our innovative, post-rehabilitation, community-based, day program as a contributing educator to our community.

The Hinds’ Feet Farm Day Program is a paradigm shift from the traditional medical, treatment, model for people living with brain injury, to a model that embraces a holistic health and wellness orientation, empowering members toward occupation and meaning in life post injury. Hinds’ Feet Farm is a person-centered, member empowered, self-determined, free choice, conceptualized and driven program. Members are self governing through the fluidity of the program by self-designing opportunities to engage in reestablishing and empowering occupation. Program staff, family and professional caregivers, in-kind community volunteers and student interns are guides for members in opportunities for exploration, discovery, confidence and self-esteem in their new identity and meaning in life post-injury.

Hinds’ Feet Farm initially invited Mr. Phillips to be a one time, guest speaker at our program. However, after hearing his message of hope and inspiration, members of our brain injury community wanted to hear more of how they too could embrace a second chance to live. With the driving force of triumph and celebration of the human spirit post brain injury, Mr. Phillips joins us monthly to share his life’s wisdom. Mr. Phillips’ is a peer mentor and life coach cheering our members on towards greater life fulfillment.

Mr. Phillips has a unique role in the local brain injury community of Charlotte, NC, and internationally, as a person living with a brain injury and as a professional in the rehabilitation counseling field. He knows first hand the brain injury continuum of care both as survivor and now as a “thrivor”, and also as an employment and psychological counselor. This dual role empowers Mr. Phillips to immediately identify with survivors and professionals simultaneously.

Mr. Phillips tailors each of his monthly session to our community’s needs and based on his blog postings, such as The Flight of the Butterfly, Traumatic Brain Injury and Isolation, What is my Destiny?. Mr. Phillips invites the members of our brain injury community toward a greater quality of life and their own second chance to live through well formatted presentations, opportunities for introspection to rediscovering one’s mission and vision in life through meaning and purpose, employing professional counseling skills, harnessing the power of group dynamics and process. Ever sensitive to and conscientious of his audience, Mr. Phillips welcomes the immediacy of feedback and lively dialogue. Mr. Phillips’ heartfelt message is masterfully crafted, awakens his audience to “carpe diem,” to pursue our dreams, and to live life to the fullest.

Hinds’ Feet Farm endorses and appreciates Mr. Phillips’ message that invites and empowers persons living with brain injury toward their own health and balance in their life journey. We are thankful for our reciprocal relationship with Mr. Phillips. Thank you Craig!

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Martin B. Foil III, CBIS
Executive Director

William P. DeGrauw, MS, CRC, CCM, CBIS
Day Program Director

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2842, Street Address: 14625 Black Farms Road Huntersville, NC, 28070-2842 Office (704) 992-1424 Fax (704) 992-1423 www.HindsFeetFarm.org

Testimonial

Lori aka: RisibleGirl

http://www.mostlyrisible.com wrote:

This guy is simply awesome

I found my way to the “Second Chance to Live” site while doing searches on traumatic brain injury. The author of the site, Craig J. Phillips, is nothing short of an inspiration to me.

I think that anyone can benefit from his posts, whether it’s someone with TBI or another chronic illness. It is not an exaggeration to say that I always take time to savor what I’ve just read after reading one of his latest posts.

I especially appreciate that he knows what having TBI is like and oftentimes his posts are something that I really needed to read right at that moment.

As I previously wrote- even if you don’t have TBI, I think anyone can benefit from his posts. He’s somehow able show me rainbows while acknowledging the dark clouds. I can’t think of any other way to describe it.

That’s an awesome gift.