Living with a Disability — The Measure of a Champion Recaptured Part 1
Posted by Second Chance to Live on August 2, 2012
Hello and welcome back to Second Chance to Live my friend. I am happy to see that you decided to stop by to visit with me. Thank you. In May of 2007 I wrote an article, The Measure of a Champion. In today’s article I want to recapture the meaning of a champion through the use of that article. For many of us living with disabilities – visible or invisible – we can find ourselves buying into the notion that because we do not meet a set of criteria, we could never consider ourselves to be champions. In my experience, I have found that nothing is farther from the truth. What I have discovered is that the truth of the matter is that being a champion is a process, not an event or a destination. What I discovered is that being a champion involves a series of choices and decisions that I will share in the following article my friend. As you read the article, may you be encouraged by the reality that you are a champion.
And now, The Measure of a Champion Recaptured
Welcome back. I am glad you decided to stop by and visit. You are always welcome here. I enjoy our times together. I have been thinking about what makes a champion — a champion — and then who certifies the individual as a champion. Society as a whole seems to promote several notions that, by nature disqualify most of us from believing that we are champions. Some of these notions are included in the following scenarios. Being a star athlete or a professional athlete who makes millions of dollars. Being an Olympian who has achieved a bronze, silver or gold medal in the Olympic Games. Being a race car driver who wins a certain amount of races or someone who has won the Nobel Peace Prize. I am sure you could think of other instances where society deems a person worthy of being a champion. Each of the scenarios stress achievement and recognition that many of us may never be able to achieve or grasp. Some of these measures are based on a subjective set of group expectations and judgments.
From an early age, many of us get duped into believing that being a champion is the goal to strive for in life. Consequently, we set off on personal crusade to win the prize and become a champion. I spent many years of my life attempting to qualify to be some one else’s champion. My belief drove me to pursue this goal because I thought that my worth and value as a individual was connected to being that persons champion. I was convinced that if I could just win the prize (education, athletic superiority and a high paying job) then I could, too be their champion. Through my process, I learned a valuable lesson. If I am waiting for some one to validate, approve or certify that my efforts qualify me to be a champion, I may never be able to celebrate the champion that I truly am in this life.
To read the conclusion of this article, please click on the following link. Thank you. Living with a Disability — The Measure of a Champion Recaptured Part 2
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This entry was posted on August 2, 2012 at 5:42 pm and is filed under 12 Step Recovery, ABI: Acquired Brain Injury, acquired brain injury and feeling alienated, Acquired Brain Injury and Suicide, adult children of alcoholics and traumatic brain injuries, Adult Children of Alcoholics living with traumatic / acquired brain injuries, brain injured soldiers, Brain Injury Education, Caregivers for people with traumatic / acquired brain injuries, celebrities with brain injuries, combating brain injury isolation, Families impacted by brain injuries, Finding Your Significance, Fulfilling your Destiny, Harnish Your Adveristy, Invisible Disability, learning disabilities, Learning to Accept Yourself as a brain injury survivor, Learning to Love Yourself as a brain injury survior, life challenging experiences, living life on life's terms, living my destiny, living with a brain injury, Living with a Disability, Living with a Invisible Disability and feeling shame, living with a traumatic / acquired brain injury, Living with a traumatic brain injury and feeling shame, Living with an Invisible Disability, living with meaning and purpose, messages of hope, messages of hope and inspiration, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Personell impacted by Traumatic Brain Injuries, Military Traumatic Brain Injury Support Meetings, Motivational / Inspirational Speaker, No Longer a Victim, Overcome Being Bullied, Overcoming a Fear of Failure, Overcoming being Bullied, Overcoming Societal Stigmatization, Parents of children with Acquired brain injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic Syndrome and Suicide, Revealing your Destiny, Self-Respect and Significance, Soldiers and Marines who sustained traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injury, stroke, Suicide and Hope, tbi adults, tbi children, tbi families, tbi veterans, Traumatic / Acquired Brain Injury and Anger, Traumatic Brain Injury and being Bullied, Traumatic Brain Injury and Comfort, traumatic brain injury and frustration, Traumatic Brain Injury and Hope, Traumatic Brain Injury and Learning, Traumatic Brain Injury and Significance, Traumatic Brain Injury and Suicide, Traumatic Brain Injury and What is my Destiny?, Traumatic Brain Injury and You, traumatic brain injury feeling alienated isolated, traumatic brain Injury in adults, Traumatic Brain Injury in children, traumatic brain injury in schools, traumatic brain injury Iraq, Traumatic Brain Injury Research and Resources, Traumatic Brain Injury Self-Esteem and Self-Worth, Traumatic Brain Injury Support Groups / Meetings, traumatic brain injury treatment, Veterans Living with Brain Injuries, What is my Destiny?. Tagged: Measure of a Champion, Olympic Champions, Qualities of a Champion, Summer Olympics, They Did not Give up, What makes a Champion?. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
