You Can’t Do It Alone
Helen Keller was
crippled as an infant by an illness that left her deaf and blind. When she was
young, she was unable to communicate with anyone beyond her immediate family,
with whom she developed “home signs” for requests of food, water and other
essentials.
But as
she grew, despite her struggle with communication, she found a life of
direction and purpose, and went on to become a well-known author, speaker and
political activist.
Helen
had a strong internal spirit. Because of her extreme disabilities, she could
have just merely existed. But Helen
discovered that in order to learn, grow and evolve into the influential person
she became, she needed to accept her disabilities and rely on others to help
her.
Through
this, she met many people who inspired and encouraged her such as Anne
Sullivan, Mark Twain, and Henry Huttleston Rogers. It was through these
relationships that she made her mark.
We too
were born with certain handicaps. Most of us will never face what Helen did,
but like Helen, we can use our handicaps to make us stronger. By accepting that
we can’t do it all, we open the possibility of partnership with others in
pursuit of the bigger dream.
There
are those around us who possess abilities and limitations complementary to
ours. They’re weak where we’re strong. They excel where we fail. These people
are our ideal teammates.
What are you really good at? In what areas
do you feel strong and capable? What are you not so good at? Where are you less
confident?
Whether
you’re seeking to improve your golf game, learn a new language or find a cure
to a disease, step one is taking a personal inventory and accepting the
extraordinary, yet imperfect being
that you are.
Step
two is to accept that the grander the goal, the more you will need the
assistance of others. And step three is to create a space for those people and
resources to come alongside you.
Only
then can you truly make your mark in the world.
How
can YOU embrace your handicaps today?
