What happens?  Usually the final sentence is significantly different than the original one!

My story has been told countless times in newspapers, magazines, books, television newscasts and even in a documentary film.  I feel very honored and privileged to be able to communicate the lessons I’ve learned from my unique life experience for the benefit of all who will listen.  While the essence of the story has remained intact, there are a few personal details that have become exaggerated to the point where I just want to set the record straight.  And I’ll be very brief:

1. My ex employers at the radio station in Phoenix were not monsters who refused to give a disabled guy a chance!  They were great people who taught me everything I know about broadcasting and who supported me as I transitioned from an employee to an entrepreneur with a destiny ahead.

and…

2. My ex wife is not an evil, heartless person.  We shared some of the most wonderful experiences of our lives together.  And she gave me the three best friends I’ll ever have in the world… my three children.  We didn’t work out, but we will always love each other.

The most recent article in Quest magazine is wonderfully written, and captures the essence of what “The Strength Coach” is all about.  While it touches on the two elements above, it does so mildly.  It just reminded me that I’ve wanted to address these two issues for a long time now, and it does feel good to finally express my thoughts and cross it off my list.

That said, enjoy the article in the Spring 2009 issue of Quest Magazine.  Be sure to click on the online version to see the entire spread as it appears in the magazine.  Go to page 78.  And check out my ad on page 90.

That said, sometimes I do imagine what life would be like if my difficulties were not so extreme.  Most people think “wheelchair” and they think the greatest miracle would be my ability to walk again.  From my perspective, walking is a mode of transportation.  If I remember to recharge my power chair at night, I get around just fine.

But I wonder how much more productive I would be if I could just sit upright!  Since age 13, my spine has been fused and supported by three metal rods.   My position is fixed: abdomen arched slightly forward, shoulders back, and the fixed angle of my neck forcing my head into a perpetual upward gaze.  To type this blog entry, the back of my skull is leaning against a padded headrest on my chair.  Because of the spinal fusion, I can’t point my head down.  It’s locked.  Won’t move.  I cannot move my chin down in the direction of my chest far enough to balance the weight of my head.  I’m looking at the screen down the bottom of my eyes and I actually can’t point my gaze down enough to focus on the lowest pixels on the screen.  So I keep scrolling to the top.

From this position, I can’t answer the phone or make phone calls.  When the phone rings, I have to scoot my hips  back and lean my chest forward against the strap that supports me.  And when I do answer the phone, my arms are too weak to hold it very long, so I often use the speaker phone.

Sometimes, I think, “Wow, what would life be like if I could arch my back, hold my head upright and use my arms and hands to answer the phone?”

And then I snap out of it and get back to living my life.   As problems and difficulties arise, I solve them.   For example, I recently got this wireless mic/headset and I’m using the Internet to make calls.  I can now dial with my mouse and I don’t have to change position to make an outgoing call.  I haven’t figured out how to get my incoming calls on board with this system yet but I’m sure I will.

My point is this:  If you don’t have a disability, if you can sit upright and hold your head upright and look straight at your computer screen, and if you can answer the phone while you’re reading this blog, then wow!  You might as well be a superhero!  If you can do all those things and you aren’t using your special powers to make your world a better place, what’s the problem?

“Superman, why don’t you ever fly?”

“I don’t know, I just can’t seem to get motivated.”

Gimmie a break.

You have special powers.  Use them on the path to your dreams.  Don’t feel sorry for me because I don’t have the same powers and don’t worry.  I have other powers.  Instead, respect me for what I accomplish without your powers and put the lessons I teach to work in your life.

PS: No, the “W” banner behind me in the photograph does not stand for George “W” Bush.  Chicago Cubs fans know what it stands for!

You know what?  I’ve found the opposite to be true.  Every single time I tell the story, I cast my thoughts and my feelings inward and I imagine myself actually living the experience again!  It was an experience of triumph and self satisfaction, and I actually earn a living, reliving one of the most empowering moments of my life! 

I told the story yet again today to a group of Kiwanis Club members in Biloxi, Mississippi.  As I shared the story, I could look at the faces of the people listening and see that they were captivated and inspired by what they were hearing.  And that appreciation made me feel great!  From that talk, I went on too have one of the most productive, successful days in a while. 

You don’t need to be a professional speaker to benefit from this insight.   I believe we all need a daily diet of positive mental nourishment to build our inner strength.  One great way to get that nourishment is to talk about your greatest moments and share the lessons you learned with others. 

Think of something you accomplished that you are extremely proud of.  Maybe it was something very challenging or seemingly impossible. Yet through determination and perseverance, you got it done! 

Today, make it a point to tell your story sometime in the morning.  And at the end of the day, reflect back and see if it gave you a boost towards a productive fulfilling day. 

Let me know!

– President Barack Obama

He was referring to health care reform, but when I heard those words just uttered from the President’s mouth, he spoke directly to me about my own personal and professional goals. 

We have to always be aware of the fact that we are programmed to be adequate.  When our survival is at stake, we will stop at nothing to achive our goals.  But when we have food, clothing, shelter, companionship and other basic human needs met, we often get complacent to the point where we don’t “get it done.” 

If the greatest feeling in the world is feeling great about yourself, imagine how great it will feel when you “get it done!”   Whatever it is that you want to do, think about that feeling and use your imagination to make it clear and vivid.  

How great will you feel when you get it done? Go do it and find out for yourself.  As the President said, “Now is exactly the time to deal with this problem!”

Too often, we confuse the boundaries between feeling GREAT about ourselves and feeling adequate.  For example maybe you have a good job and earn a decent living.  You have good credit.  You go to work every day.  Your job is secure.  You’re doing good.  You’re living an adequate life.  You feel GOOD about yourself.  Deep within, you’re satisfied with yourself and you know you are functioning well. 

If I’ve just described you, congratulations because in these difficult times, if you’re stable and feeling good about yourself, you are within striking distance of that feeling of greatness.  Many people are seldom experiencing even a good feeling about themselves.  We’ve all experienced despair, hopelessness, and a feeling that we are not special, and in our current environment the group of people with those feelings is growing.  Hopefully, after reading this post, you’ll be inspired to jump off that bandwagon now!

I challenge you to consider this queston: Are you really living?  Where’s the excitement? Where’s the passion?  Where’s the purpose and meaning?  Why are you here?  What are you supposed to be doing? 

Answering those questions will reveal the secret to finding that ultimate feel-GREAT lifestyle.  Unfortunately, those questions are some of the most difficult known to mankind.  I don’t think I’d find pleasure in learning the precise statistical information about the percentage of people who go through their entire lives and never find their purpose.  As a result, they can never feel truly GREAT about themselves for any extended period of time. 

I think life is too precious.  The consensus of physicians was that my life would be a very short one.  So I’ve given this thought of purpose some careful consideration and can pass along some insight to you.   My purpose is to experience life with the unique characteristics I have been assigned (black, skinny, in a wheelchair, physically weak, yet insightful, vocal, stubborn articulate, observant, patient) and to communicate about what I’ve learned from this perspective in a way that can be of assistance to all.  I’m doing that and it feels GREAT!

If you continue to merely exist, satisfied with the good feeling about your adequate lifestyle, you are selling yourself short.  Your destiny awaits.  Here’s how:

The first step to discovering that purpose is to put yourself in a feel-great state consistently.  Do something for someone else without expecting anything in return.  Do something difficult that you’ve been putting off because you’ve been dreading the process of doing it.  Instead of fearing the pain involved in the process, focus on the great feeling you will experience when the goal is reached.  The more you can give yourself hints of that feeling of greatness, the more you’ll discover what makes you feel great, and in the process you’ll find your answers.  What did you do that made you feel GREAT today?  Have an answer every day and you’ll be on your way!

Comment below:  What did YOU do that made you feel GREAT today?

And here’s the second major step!

Here’s local TV coverage of the speech. 

Here are some photos from the event with some of the student leaders, faculty, and my son Greg Jr, who was assisting me with my equipment and logistics. 

As a speaker, you want to make a difference in people’s lives, which leads to making a difference in the world.  If you’d like me to make a difference in the futures of your students, call me at 877-331-7563 or email strengthcoach@bellsouth.net.

A bad thing happened to me about 45 minutes ago.  As I write this, I am a prisoner of my own carelessness.  I am literally chained to the wall.   Yep, I forgot to plug my power wheelchair into the wall last night for it’s every-other-night recharge.  I guess the kids being home from school for Mardi Gras messed up my internal schedule or something, but right now, I’m glad it happened!  It happened for a reason that I hope you’ll remember the next time  you’re faced with an inconvenience or a seemingly negative circumstance.

I discovered the dying battery moments ago when I attempted to roll my chair up the ramp and into my van, so I could go scope out the room at a local high school where I’ll be speaking tomorrow.  Inches up the ramp, the power shut down and I was stuck.  Luckily, help was available and after getting pushed back into the house and plugging the chair in, I decided to use the time to document this experience in my blog. 

You see, I’m glad the chair was dead.  I called the school and moved the meeting back 45 minutes.  And now, for the second consecutive day, I’ve posted a blog entry! 

I think that’s important.  With this blog, I’ve pledged to myself that I would use it as a platform to share the unique experiences that arise from the combination of characteristics that make me who I am, and to inspire you to apply the lessons I learn to your own life.  Had my chair not been dead, I honestly don’t know if I would have blogged today.  And blogging today and writing these words have reinforced to me the fact that I have a responsibility to teach these lessons to you.

When bad things happen, look for a reason to reflect back on it and be happy things turned out the way they did!

Government is one source.   Our dire need for help resulted  in President Barack Obama’s successful fight for the Economic Stimulus Package and his encouraging message to the nation last night.   That help is on the way as we all sit and wonder how it is going to impact us. 

Religion is another source.  During traumatic times, Americans have always tended to become spiritual. We saw this during the aftermath of 9/11 and other tragedies. This economic slump is no exception.  Church attendance is on the rise.  Even those who claim they are not overly religious are claiming they feel more spiritual. 

Relationships are another source.  People are realizing the importance of love and encouragement from close friends and family in these challenging times.  Have you reached out to people you care about lately?  Perhaps you become re-acquainted with people you haven’t heard from in a while?  I believe there is a good reason why the social networking sites are expolding in membership.  People need encouragement right now from those who care about them. 

But there is another source of help that is often overlooked.   Deep inside our DNA and the DNA of every living thing lies the most basic of instincts… the survival instinct.  It’s the essence of “Inner Strength.”  When our lives are threatened, we have the ability to kick it into a whole other gear and will stop at nothing to ensure our survival.  

When a lioness has hungry cubs, she doesn’t start looking for assistance or encouragement from other lions!  She doesn’t sit and hold optimism that times will improve!  No!  She goes into a different level of being, and she makes the kill.  That killer instinct is the survival instinct.  It’s a fundamental “inner strength.” 

Unfortunately we, as humans, are too burdeoned by our most valued attribute… our powerful brains.  Sometimes, it’s important to get into “Beast-Mode” and harness the inner strength that is anchored within us all.  Unfortunately, we are often too sophisticated to know how to do that.   What we need to do is learn how to build our “inner strength” and tap into the power of our survival instinct.  These days, we should study the process of tapping into our inner strength as if our lives dependend on it!