Discovering my strength
Thirty months ago, I awoke in a hospital bed paralyzed in the left half of my body and missing my right leg. Today I am more able then I ever imagined I could be. Through hard work driven by perseverance, determination, and appreciation of life, I was able to gain back the functionality of my left half and ultimately become more physically active then I ever was with 2 normal legs.
It didn't take me very long to accept how lucky I was to still have my life after experiencing a deadly car accident that took the life of one of my closest friends. This realization allowed me to feel a sense of privilege to be alive. I feel as though the little things in life and life itself are often taken for granted when all it takes is one moment for it all to be taken away. This mindset has allowed me to discover a strength that I didn't know I possessed. It drove me to run a 5k before the 18 month anniversary of my amputation. It has allowed me to become stronger in the weight room than I was before. It has given me the perspective to look past the hard days and moments.
Appreciating the life that I'm so privileged to have has made me a better man than I could have ever imagined being. It drives me to prove to myself that I can always be better and that I can always work to be better for my own sake and for the people that I share my life with. It is in my control to lead the life that I want to live and live as an example to others. The intangibles that I have gained from having to adjust to life in a new physical form are acquisitions that you cannot gain from living in fear, but ones that you can gain from accepting adversity. These traits have allowed me to continue to pursue a degree, to train harder than I ever have, and to constantly be a positive figure for myself and for the people around me. Sometimes life may drag you down but it is always important to keep 1legup in order to push forward.
