"I Could Never Do That!"

I hate the statement, "I could never do that!"  When I hear it I often say, "we can do whatever we must." History records many remarkable things happening when ordinary people made the effort to try.   On the contrary, if a person has a mindset of " I could never do that", the battle is lost before it is begun.  I remember when I first thought about this.  About 12 years ago I had eye surgery to correct my vision and gave permission to the surgeon to make my vision mono vision.  That means that one eye is for reading the other is for distance.  When people heard about this they would say, "I tried that with contact lenses and I couldn't do it."  I remember there was a 3-4 week adjustment and then my vision became crystal clear without glasses!  I had to pay a small price of aggravation for a few weeks to enjoy 12 years of trouble free vision after.  

I think of double amputees running a marathon.  I think of artists who become paralyzed from the neck down who learn to paint with their teeth.  What do they all have in common?  The all came to a place of:

1.  Acceptance of the challenge.  
They had to accept the reality of their situation and the challenge before them.  I remember when my daughter fell from a balcony over 4 years ago and was left paraplegic.  I watched her face streaming with tears the first morning after the surgery when she realized the reality of her limitations.  The very next day she attacked the challenge with strength.  She has never stopped.

2.  Courage to do more than is expected.
When my daughter was considering options for rehab she rejected centers where the emphasis was placed upon learning to live with your disability.  She chose rather, "Project Walk" in California where the goal was obviously, "walking".  I know some would say, "accept your condition and embrace it".  I know there is a place for that too but there must be this drive that says, "I know I can accomplish more than is expected.  

3.  A stamina and commitment to never stop.  
I can't imagine the pain and difficulty involved in learning to stand, much less running on prosthesis legs.  Yet, there are many doing it as you read this blog.  However, there is one thing that none of these heroes possess.  There is one luxury none of them can afford.  None of them ever allow the thought to linger, "I could never do that!"