As I am writing this blog, I am sitting on a flight from LA to Melbourne, on my way home after a spectacular month in the USA. By the time you are reading it, I will be back on home turf, and planning my next assault on the world. For the last month I have met some amazing people, been able to share my message to different groups, and, I can now see opportunities open up, before my very eyes, to take my purpose to the next level. There are so many amazing memories that I bring with me as I return home, but one lady, in particular, has inspired me beyond words. Her story will change many lives and empower numerous people to stand up and dance, when maybe, they don’t think they can.
The picture you can see is Heather dancing. Now, Heather seems to be a normal girl doing what many girls do, that is; dancing at a wedding. Let me tell you, however, Heather is no normal girl. From a young age she suffered from a severe brain condition called, Cavernous Angioma, which consists of weak blood vessels in the brain or spinal cord. This disease has resulted in a lot of discomfort, fear of the unknown, numerous strokes, paralysis and ultimately a 9-hour emergency surgery to remove the lesion from her brain. The prognosis for her recovery was not optimistic, and, doctors doubted whether she would ever walk or function normally again.
After the marathon surgery, her family was with her in the recovery room, waiting for her to come out of the anesthetic. Her mother, father and sister were in the room and all understandably concerned about and anxious to see how Heather would come out of the operation, and, recover from her ordeal. Heather had half of the hair shaved from her head, a long scar on her skull and had tubes of all sorts coming out of her body to keep her alive. Her sister, who was to be married in just 6 months from that moment, was especially upset, and, sobbing for Heather.
As Heather woke up from the anesthetic, the first person she saw and heard, after opening her eyes, was her sister. She saw how upset her sister was, so, even in her condition, Heather held out her hand to her sister. The first words that came out of her mouth, after her nine hour surgery, were; ‘Stop Crying. I’ll be dancing at your wedding!’ Six months later, despite her condition and despite the doctor’s assessment of her recovery, Heather was dancing at her sister’s wedding!
You create your reality in your mind.
What was the magic that helped Heather achieve that miracle and create such an incredible result and memory for her, and her sister? Doctors told her that it would not be possible, so how did she make it happen? When Heather came out of the anesthetic, saw her sister sobbing, she thought about and visualised what she wanted. She imagined herself dancing at her sister’s wedding. She could feel the freedom of the movement she would be enjoying. She felt the pride and ecstasy associated with her achievement. She could see the smile on her sister’s face. It was that vision, and the powerful emotion it released in her that got her into action to start the rehabilitation process.
Every day, and with every challenge that Heather faced, she kept that image in her mind and focused on the feeling of success. It kept her going and it kept her getting up after each fall. Despite the opinions of educated and experienced medical professionals, she defied the odds and did something extraordinary. Why? Because she created the reality in her mind. With the clarity, and emotion that came with it, taking that first spontaneous step, getting into action and finally dancing with her grandfather at her sister’s wedding happened almost naturally.
Heather is a powerful and inspiring example of what is possible when we choose to focus on the outcome we are after. She is an exceptional lady, but she didn’t do something that you couldn’t do. We can all get a powerful, compelling picture of what we want, in our head. We can all take that vision, and use the excitement, empowerment and determination that comes with it to move us into action. The question you need to ask, as I need to keep asking myself is; what do I want, and, why?
What I love most about what Heather achieved, and, what I truly respect about her, is that she never doubted or feared that she would not achieve the result. She just pictured it, decided it would be done and got to work. What stops most people is doubt, fear, confusion and lack of belief. Heather didn’t have the luxury of those self-indulgences, and, they are self-indulgences. They are a waste of mental and emotional energy. To doubt your capacity to achieve what you want is a lie, and the sooner you realise it, the quicker you will stop making excuses about why you can’t achieve what you want, and just get on with the job.
You were born for a purpose. Your destiny is bigger than you can possibly imagine. You were given a body that can perform all manner of tasks, and, you have a mind that will drive your body to do what’s needed to live the incredible life you are destined to live. Stop accepting mediocrity. Stop complaining about lack of energy, lack of money and lack of time. Stop blaming other people and circumstances. Start picturing what you want and getting real clarity in your mind. Start believing that you have the God given ability and capacity to get the job done. Then, please, for your own sake, stop waiting, stop whining, stop wasting, and, start winning!
Heather and I had the pleasure of speaking to two different groups while I was with her and her family in Pittsburgh. Both times, I had the daunting task of speaking after her. She is well aware of something that you need to know. Her brain condition was not a tragedy or a burden, instead, it was a gift. It was the gift she needed to help her fulfil her purpose of impacting the world. Her brain disease, its challenges and now her recovery provide the platform she needs to stand on to inspire others. If you want to impact the lives of many people, then all you have to do is; stand up, face your adversity, visualise what you want, make a decision, get into action and keep going until you are dancing!