At the end of November, friends Mike and Kim asked if I’d join them on a backcountry ski trip from Dec 11th-18th, giving me just over a week to prepare for an epic adventure. At first, I thought, No Way! It’s too soon. I’ve got work. I’ll slow everyone down. What if my body can’t handle it?

A Story About the Wings For Life World Run

I raced in my first Wings For Life World Run in May of 2015. Back then, I set a goal before the race of running 8 km, which seemed lofty at the time. I surprised myself and practically everyone I know when I ran 9.87 km — a huge victory, only 1 year, 4 months, and 17 days after I broke my neck.

When it comes to accomplishing your goals, falling in love with the effort and strain process is critical. And guess what, if your reward system supports this process, you’ll have more success and achieve your goals sooner.

2020 has been a tough year. Let’s not sugar coat it, it’s been rough.

We’re not supposed to be physically distant. We need connections. The heaviness is weighing on most people, collective societal stress is elevated, and many of us are struggling. I mean, watched the news lately? It’s hard to avoid the negativity. It’s stressful and anxiety is at an all-time high. 

Can we turn this year around?

If things aren’t working out right now, it just means they’re not finished yet because things will always work out. Trust the process. Sometimes you need to be patient, but trust it will all work out.

It’s not blissful optimism, it’s hopeful optimism.

Over the last few months, with stay at home orders, physical distancing and almost everything “going virtual,” people keep talking about the art of “the pivot.” The idea is we must change course if we want to survive (or thrive) during the pandemic, but a full 180 is not always best (or possible).

Vulnerability lives in our minds. It produces a restrictive grip on our mental abilities, sometimes paralyzing us more than any physical restrictions ever can. It holds us back from rational thinking, achieving our potential, and living our lives uninhibited by fear.

HOW DO YOU TAKE CONTROL?

If you take advantage of the free opportunities to change your behaviour, when tragedy strikes, you’ll be ready. It’s then a matter of digging into your toolbox to source the strength, determination, discipline, and courage to not only survive but thrive!

So, on the weekend my girlfriend and I decided it would be a good idea to climb to the top of the mountain behind our house called, Spion Kop. It’s more of a hike than a “climb,” but for someone with an incomplete spinal cord injury, it was a grind—a test of determined endurance. The kicker was, I didn’t fully know what we were getting ourselves into when we left the house that day.

Public speaking is exactly like freestyle skiing.Yes, you read that correctly, public speaking is exactly like freestyle skiing—for a couple of reasons…