BLESSINGS

The very fact I am writing this today is another reason I feel blessed in my life as it is, and there is no way around it. There was a quote, which I originally heard from Tony Robbins, which goes something like this "When you can take your worst day and realize it was your best day, then you will truly know your purpose." It may not be an exact quote, but when I heard him say that, I realized how my life was possibly changed so dramatically for a reason. 

For me, the first of the 5 blessings of all the blessings like family and friends in my life is the fact that I lived through the car accident that took my best friend in high school and left me a quadriplegic. Don't get me wrong if I had my hands in the designs on this outcome I'd have died, and Matt would have lived, but that didn't happen. That day for me by far was my worst day. So by taking what Tony Robbins said and reflecting on that in a new way, I have come to the realization that event no matter how destructive implanted within me a seed for refocusing on my God-given talent and creative abilities. I say that because, at the time of the crash, I had designs on a career as an athlete like so many young black males that to even fathom where I might be now as an athlete may have to lead me to a place I would not want to be. 

My second of the five blessings is the fact that although my current life is complicated and filled with ups and downs as life in a wheelchair will do that, I have lived life thus far that I am sure is better than most quads. In that, I have had the assistance and friendship of two lovely women for over 20 years, who happen to be sisters Amy and Karrie. I would say they are close friends as they've seen me grow as a young man and seen some of my mistakes and ventured off into other realms I believe in sufficing my development as a man and not make it weird, but with them working with me this long may have been something not of the norm. 

My third blessing is the number of reliable care providers, which may be too many to list here. Yet to name a few of the great ones like Angie, Teara, Tricia, Tayonie, John, Kristina, Ronnie, Janele, Melissa, Ellen, Kikuyo, Naomi, and today Heather, to name a few. They all combined have made my life comfortable, and even in some aspect more than pleased with and without them, I'm sure I would be lost as well. 

My next blessing to address is that God-given talent that even after the accident and still today lives in and is genuinely a massive blessing. I say that with even more belief today than maybe years ago thinking I'd always be the man in other ways, yet that didn't pan out. I also realize that I am my own man no job is going to make me and I am happiest when working in my ideas and dreams so I am blessed to live a life where my expectations from others are low, which makes me want to become so good they can't ignore me. 

My last blessing, which could be replaced with so many more, is my mindset. I was blessed with the creative talent and the mindset to win and never give up, which is a perfect combo to do something with, so here I am since graduation working to continue to live and thrive, so I know I am blessed in each of those ways. So when tough times come, and they do, or when moments of indecision strike, I can rely on the foundation built through years and relationships that hadn't left me in the lurch, but have picked me up when I was down.