| 01 August 2009
Have you ever experienced the joy of watching a child crawl or walk for the first time? How did it feel? Can you remember the look of sheer delight on their faces?
Although it was about nine years ago, It seems like yesterday when I first saw Aleisha (our first child) learn to crawl for the first time. My wife, Angela brought Aleisha with her to visit me while I was coordinating the health support program for about 500 budding entrepreneurs at Action Coach's 5 day "Billionaire In Training" workshop at the Hyatt Regency in Coolum, Queensland.
I can still recall that I had a short lunch break and met them at my hotel room. Angela came in at put Aleisha down on the floor. Aleisha saw me and her face exploded with delight. She took off crawling at high speed straight towards me. Tears welled in my eyes as Aleisha came crawling over to me emanating this half giggling, half puffing sound. For the next half an hour we spent on the practice putting green at the resort golf course as I rolled golf balls around watching Aleisha chase them.
Why am I mentioning this? It's to remind us of two words vital for reducing stress in our lives…
They are APPRECIATION and GRATITUDE.
We are often the first to grizzle and complain if we are unable to do something we wish to due a temporary ache or ailment. We even have the gall to exaggerate how we are feeling often describing ourselves as “feeling like death warmed up" or even claiming that "this pain is killing me. " Young children are great reminders for us to appreciate and be grateful for what we have but even then i found myself quickly griping whenever the world would not yield to my demands. In fact it took an adult with this child-like wisdom and enthusiasm that really made me stand up and take notice of what i should be grateful for.
Every now and then do you meet someone really special? I don't mean in the romantic sense or someone that it famous or gifted. I mean someone, that when you meet them, they seem to be unlike anyone you have ever met. They make such an impression on you that you end up becoming a better person from meeting them. Well Amanda Boxtel was one of these people that helped change my outlook on life for the better.
I met Amanda Boxtel two year ago in Maui at a writer’s conference. As I was talking to someone in the bookshop a half American/half Australian accent from behind me remarked. "Don't believe a word he says." I turned around and replied, "Well at least I talk with a proper Australian accent." It was the uniquely Aussie friendship test. Go up and make fun of a complete stranger and see how well they cope with it. We both laughed about it and instantly became friends. Amanda's story is remarkable....
A fantastic snow-skier, about 17 years ago Amanda had a freak skiing accident Colorado. As a result she became a paraplegic from T11 down (from the bottom of the rib cage down). She didn't let that stop her becoming the first paraplegic ski instructor which she did for 10 years. She also co-founded Challenge Aspen: a successful million dollar non-profit organization aimed at providing enjoyment and recreation for people with disabilities.
But the thing that blew me away was when she said, "For the first time since my accident I am starting to get sensation and some strength in my legs."I couldn't believe to imagine what it would feel like to begin to experience these sensations that we all take for granted. "How did this happen?"
"I've just come back from India from the clinic of Dr Geeta Schroff where I have had Human Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy and for the first time since my accident, 'hope' has become a word in my vocabulary," she replied.
I have to admit. I have never thought much about Stem cell therapy. And being a practitioner focusing on natural ways of healing any thought I had previously had about it was generally negative. That all changed one afternoon following the conference.
Throughout the conference Amanda, myself and six other budding writers would always met up during breaks and have meals together. During this time I found out that although Amanda has lived in Aspen, Colorado for years as chance would have it, Amanda happened to grow up in a place called Currimundi that happened to be only ten minutes from where I live in Australia. Currimundi has a great beach which she misses a lot. When I realized this I said, "Amanda, you haven't been to the beach for so long and that is completely un-Australian. So how about we take you snorkeling on the reef at the point over there when the conference finishes? Who else is coming?"
Amanda beamed like a child given het first ever toy and jumped at the chance.
I hired some goggles, snorkels and a kick board to assist Amanda. After going down to the point to check on the current the rest fo the group brought Amanda down to the beach. I pushed her in her wheelchair onto the sand. She grabbed the goggles and snorkel and got off her wheelchair and wiggled herself to the ocean. Once she got into the water, Amanda relished the extra freedom and movement given to her by the warm Hawaiian ocean. The sheer joy she showed in appreciating an activity that many of us take for granted was humbling to witness. It reminded me of watching my own children learning a new task for the first time.
After about 45 minutes in the water, all of us came out of the water and dried off except Amanda, who was enjoying sitting on the oceans edge. The rest of us were chatting amongst ourselves for a while until we were distracted by some shrieking and giggling. It was Amanda, sitting on the sand being able to move her thighs slightly from side to side. "I haven't been able to do this for 15 years," she beamed. "Or this," she said as she turned and balanced herself on her hands and knees.
At that moment my attitude toward life changed. Seeing such child-like and unrestrained joy and appreciation of an activity that I had always taken for granted made me take a good hard look at myself. If Amanda could find such joy, exhilaration and gratitude in her life despite all the obstacles that she is confronted with, then I have no right to complain about my lot in life.
I vowed to appreciate what is good in my life. I admit that there are times when I still take my circumstances and loved ones around me for granted but I only have to recall Amanda’s life example to help put my life into perspective.
Amanda's physical strength continues to improve and she is even gaining control of her bladder. Amanda is rejoicing at all the smaller things that she can now do again. She now has her sights set on walking again. Whether she succeeds in her quest or not she has certainly helped me to appreciate every step that I do take.
