Finding happiness after a personal tragedy
Although I don’t normally acknowledge it, many observers have said that tragedy struck my life fourteen years ago at the age of twenty. I was about to start my senior year at the University of Florida when I suffered a high-level spinal cord injury that left me paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on the ventilator, just like the late Christopher Reeve.
Faced with high-level quadriplegia, not to mention relying on a breathing machine for me, it took me a while to learn to live in this condition. I was depressed for months. He didn’t know what to do yet. I had to learn and focus on what I can do. And the happiness?
Eventually I learned to relate to this quote from our first lady, Martha Washington, who said, “I am still determined to be joyful and happy, in whatever situation I find myself in, because I have also learned from experience that most of our happiness or misery depends on our disposition and not on our circumstances. “
Even in my situation, despite my paralysis and my fan, I truly believe that I am blessed in many ways (for which I am humbly grateful). I recognize that there is always someone in a more difficult situation. Consequently, happiness is a matter of perspective and choice.
Happiness is choosing to find the positive, even in less than ideal situations. But what makes choosing to be happy MUCH EASIER is finding your niche, something you enjoy and are passionate about.
Finding your niche is even better if what you are passionate about can become a job or a business opportunity. The Chinese philosopher Confucius said: “Find a job that you like and you will never work a day in your life.”
Losing your job can be a personal tragedy. Many people have lost their jobs as a result of the bad economy in recent years. That happened to Ken Knorr, who decided that since he no longer had a paycheck, it was time to start a business. That entrepreneurial endeavor is now called ESA Company, which is ranked 183 on the 2011 Inc. 500 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies.
Regarding entrepreneurship, Knorr said: “There is no better way to get inspired than to be fired!” If what you are passionate about turns out to be an unmet or unmet need in the world, or in your part of the world, it could turn a personal tragedy like being fired into a business opportunity!
Personally, I am passionate about helping people (what I believe is doing God’s will). After my injury, my family and I recognized an unmet need for physical recreation and social opportunities for wheelchair users, especially power wheelchair users. This led to the development of a wheelchair bowling device called the IKAN (“I can”) Bowler that can empower its user. That also became a business effort to get wheelchair users (back) to the game of life!
Regardless of the personal tragedy you may experience, keep in mind that a good way to emerge and find happiness is to seek a healthy outlook and find your niche, something that you enjoy and are passionate about.
If you’re wondering why I don’t normally recognize my injury as a personal tragedy, it’s because so many positive things have ultimately resulted from my paralysis.