Accidents can happen to anyone and at any time. No one is immune from disease or exempt from developing a disorder. This is something that one woman wants people to remember. Her intent isn’t to scare people or make it seem like a disability is something to inherently fear, as she said many people do. The truth is that what is difficult can be very rewarding.
It was something that this woman became intimately aware of after she became paralyzed several years ago. This woman admitted to having a hopeless outlook on life after receiving the news, but she said that she decided to find happiness. When she did, she compiled a list of life lessons that the average person can learn from someone with a disability.
What are those life lessons?
The first is that patience is key. The physical and emotional hurdles a person with a disability faces truly test patience, she said, but it can get a person through “almost anything.” When one learns patience, they might learn not to sweat the little things. Prioritizing what is important becomes necessary when those with a disability are faced with the many stressful medical issues, like insurance cuts, caregivers that quit and health complications.
This woman also found out that “fitting in is overrated.” When being a part of the perfect “in” crowd became impossible, she began to understand herself. She said that a disability can provide someone with the rare opportunity to become exactly who they want to be.
As for others, don’t judge a book by their cover, she said. The woman simply had to name Stephen Hawking as an example of how someone’s appearance doesn’t always coincide with who they actually are inside and what they are capable of.
As for those with a disability, she said that they quickly learn that having a weakness of some kind “isn’t necessarily a negative thing.” Asking for and receiving help is a basic part of life, and help is something that everyone needs. Social Security disability benefits and the assistance of a Saint Louis attorney are two kinds of help that those with an injury may want.
Source: The Huffington Post, “10 Things The World Can Learn From People With Disabilities,” Tiffiny Carlson, Jan. 10, 2014