Breakthrough with Tony Robbins

Okay~


So another reality show hit the airwaves this week. Unlike most, the show doesn't provide its contestants with luxury suites or lavish prizes. Hosted by Tony Robbins, it is designed to give people the breakthroughs they need to overcome whatever challenges they may face in the future.


In the pilot, Robbins tries to assist the Alioto family and seeing a life beyond the confines of his wheelchair. From the very beginning, the couple thought their wedding would be the start of their happily ever after together. Instead, it turned into a nightmare when on the eve of their big day Frank dove into the swimming pool breaking his neck.


"When I see pictures of Frank and I, it doesn't even look like Frank and I. We don't even know them anymore," says Kirsten.


The process begins with the two traveling to Fiji in order to meet with Tony. Re-creating their story is only the first step to seeing their whole situation in a totally different light. Like on their wedding day, they took a leap of faith and the unfortunate happened, he wants them to take another leap of faith to take back their lives. In order to do that, they must first confront the real issues and find a new source of inner strength that lays a new foundation for their relationship. He may not be able to do the same things used to, but he can still support her as a husband


"Being able to provide Kirsten with an emotional shoulder to lean on was very powerful. It was very important for me to understand that I can still be there for her and provide her with strength," said Frank.


They must see themselves and their situation in a entirely different light. For Frank, he must look beyond the confines of his wheelchair and redefine what is possible. In other words, there are no limits except the ones he puts on himself. for his life, Kirsten must see Frank "free" again, doing something they never thought was possible. In an effort to illustrate this point, Tony asks the couple to skydive.


"What is the most terrifying moment of my life went to the most powerful. It was the freest I've since being told I was paralyzed," Frank says.


Kirsten agrees.


"It was a moment I'll never forget. He didn't feel that he had no legs,"



As part of the next step, Tony gives them both separate tasks to do over the next week. For Kirsten, this involves going to a spa and focusing on herself for once. On the other hand, Frank travels to Oceanside California for his next challenge, participating in a popular quadriplegic sport called "Murder Ball" (dodgeball in wheelchairs). By doing this, Tony hopes Frank will exceed his own expectations of what he can do and see what is possible as an individual. At the end up practicing for a week, Frank actually plays in a game with his family and friends watching.


On a personal note, although I may agree with the majority of this post and Tony's methods. There is one ingredient he seems to be missing. Jesus Christ. Unintended or intended, he relies on the "power" or "strength" of the human spirit to cause a breakthrough. In reality, it doesn't work like that. One must rely on God for a lasting and permanent change.
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Citation for TV program: "Alioto " Breakthroughs with Tony Robbins . NBC Channel 4 WRC July 27, 2010.

Encouragement: For Such A Time As This

Now, all I have is now

To be faithful

To be holy

And to shine

Lighting up the darkness

Right now, I really have no choice

But to voice the truth to the nations

A generation looking for God

Chorus:

For such a time as this

I was placed upon the earth

To hear the voice of God

And do His will

Whatever it is

For such a time as this

For now and all the days He gives

I am here, I am here

And I am His

For such a time as this

You - Do you ever wonder why

Seems like the grass is always greener

Under everybody else's sky

But right here, right here for this time and place

You can live a mirror of His mercy

A forgiven image of grace

Repeat Chorus

Can't change what's happened till now

But we can change what will be

By living in holiness

That the world will see Jesus

Repeat Chorus

For some reason, the lyrics to Wayne Watson's "For Such A Time As This" came to mind this morning when I was thinking about what to write for the blog. As a society, it's hard to look around and not be disappointed with the direction America has taken.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a proud American and I will always be one. But there are some things that this country was once founded on that seem to be forgotten in the midst of becoming a "greater" America. As a result, our foundation and integrity is in question.

So where does this leave us?

I don't know about you, but it leaves me feeling inadequate sometimes. After all, I'm just one voice in the midst of a crowd. Why do this if no one chooses to listen?

But then, I'm reminded of the Touched By an Angel episode where I first heard the song. In the episode, the angels try to enlist the help of a senator and an effort to acknowledge the existence of slavery in the Sudan. While Sen. Cooper (played by Lindsay Crouse) is preoccupied with more "pressing" issues, her son takes an interest in the photos they gave the senator as proof. So much so, that he takes the photos to show and tell at his school. That in turn, causes an avalanche of support from his class raising money in an effort to "buy back" the people in the photos. Thomas takes particular interest in one child named Sam who reminds him in a strange way of his brother whom he never got to meet.

"I had a brother once. I never really knew him, but I miss him and I don't know this kid, but it's hard to explain, but I miss him too ! Tomas says to his class during show and tell.

In the end, the senator did go to the Sudan to see it for herself and "buy" back Sam.

What am I getting at? In truth, this post turned out to be quite the opposite of its original purpose. To remind you that on any given day, you have the unique opportunity to make a difference. But now I'm not quite sure if that even makes any sense to me!

-- --

Citation:

Citation for TV program: "For Such A Time As This " Touched By an Angel. Hallmark Channel 240 HALL14 July 2010. Original air date: 9/26/1999

Disability carnival #67- Proud Voices

Welcome back~

So, it's been kind of hard for me to find my voice this week. I often find myself at a loss for words in regards to what is happening in the world today. In my family even. What could I say to heal the wounds or dry the tears of those around me? For that matter, how do I know it would make any difference?

That being said, I can only conclude that this is lack of sleep talking. Over the last couple days, I haven't really slept much. I guess You could say I have a lot on my mind with everything going on.

I'm passing this link on in the hope it will provide some direction to your day and you can learn something from it even if I don't want to comment on it. One post certainly struck me in the midst of my dark and dismal day. (Metaphorically)

http://simeonstrail.blogspot.com/2010/03/doubt.html

In This Post, I was reminded where my true strength and confidence comes from.

But the other blog entries for the Carnival were good too!

http://davehingsburger.blogspot.com/2010/06/disability-blog-carnival-67-proud.html

Brave New World

Okay~

So it's about that time again. It's Friday and I have to say I'm a little disappointed with how my week has gone. I had intended to spend the week writing on my book because my personal assistant is on vacation. But things have been the same since I arrived back from vacation. Creatively, that is. Still, I'm writing on here; that counts for something right?

Anyway, I was thinking about how much moving to Virginia changed my life. On the one hand, I was a success in Michigan. I had everything going for me there, my own apartment, a job, a great group of friends as well as living independently. But most of all, I was comfortable. In Virginia, the story is drastically different. I have struggled to assert my independence where I barely know anyone. It's been hard, but it caused me to grow in ways I never imagined.


A recent syndicated episode of Boy Meets World reminded me to be grateful of that. The episode was part of a two-part finale where Topanga and Cory struggle with their decision to move to New York after she is offered a internship. As always, Mr. Feeney is there to offer advice. I distinctly remember posting their dialogue in a previous post and now I can't find it. Maybe I need some fresh eyes of readers to look for with me. I will be very grateful because I have been looking for the post ever since the the episode re-aired today. It's really bugging me. Please help me find it.

In short, their dialogue consisted of Topanga being compared to that of the plant. She's comfortable where she is and always succeeded here at home. Because she knows nothing different.

Or if you can't find on my blog, please tell me where I can find it. Because I've searched everywhere.

I don't know if my explanation of the episode does it justice, but hey at least I tried

Encouragement: A Helping Hand

Hey Guys,
This video clip was one of AOL's top articles for today. It features a young man with a rare disorder that caused his hands to not form properly finally getting a helping hand with the use of a new prosthetic. Take a look. It's amazing what technology can do these days.

http://news.mydaily.com/2010/07/21/grasping-change/?icid=mainmaindl7link3http%3A%2F%2Fnews.mydaily.com%2F2010%2F07%2F21%2Fgrasping-change%2F

True Beauty Finale

Okay,

So I'm into reality shows as much as the next guy. True Beauty is no exception. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, it takes physically beautiful people and puts them in everyday situations to see whether they will help people. The goal: to search for signs of inner beauty. The transformations these contestants go through our amazing, slow, as in life. In the end, there are told the premise of the show and see how wrong or right they reacted when they thought no one was watching them. Then, the gave a final plea as to why they should be named "the face" of Vegas.
Their pleas were quite moving and showed they each learned something from the experience.
But really?
Do we really need a television show telling us what we are doing right in life. That's what a conscience is for...
That's What Faith Is for!

My Reflections: Then And Now

Welcome back ~



Accessibility and jobs are high on the list of people with disabilities today. Rightly so. We have a long way to go when it comes the high standards set forth by the United States of America. But really, look at how far we've come in such a short time. It was not too long ago that we had to wait for specific buses to get us from place to place. Now virtually all forms of transportation are handicapped accessible, allowing us to not be "segregated" as a group. (I use the term loosely, mind you.) From the start, it hasn't been easy getting what we needed to become independent and self-sufficient citizens. But it should make us grateful for what we have knowing what we had to go through to get it.



I was reminded of this fact when I watched yet another syndicated episode of Highway to Heaven. The episode was entitled "Squeaky Wheel" and deals with a disabled veteran's struggle to work. After several weeks of being late to job (because the lift broke on the bus and they had to send for another), Wayne Secrest gets fired. The sparks a whole new journey for the couple when they cross paths with Mark and Jonathan. As part of their assignment, they get Wayne involved with their disability awareness group for the advancement of the handicapped. For example, he goes to the reopening of an old business to protest the lack of the handicapped access. As a result, the owner of the company is impressed and offers him a job in public relations.



In the end, Wayne is given the Man of the Year Award and says some inspirational remarks. In part, he says, "There is no question that throughout our lives we are continually learning new lessons. We have to in order to grow as human beings. That's why we have to go out and teach, never stop teaching making each other aware of of the special needs and problems of handicapped people. How else can we learn unless we know? Give us a chance to get to work and we'll do the job, give us a chance to be part of the world and we'll make it a better world."



Another quote that hit me was this , "I learned that your manhood isn't measured by your legs, it's not your ability to stand tall and face a fight.. your manhood- your humanness is in the mind, it's in the heart, it's in the soul!"
-- --

Citation for TV program: "The Squeaky Wheel " Highway to Heaven. Gospel Music Channel 224 GMC, 22nd June 2010. Original air date: June 16, 1989

Encouragement: Driven To Succeed

Okay~

So I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Partly due to today's events and the path my life is on right now. What's the meaning of success? I mean, really? Is it money? Power? Fame? Influence? Or is it simply living your own dream and doing something to make a difference in this world.

That's my definition of success and many people would agree with me. But don't take my word for it. On a recent syndicated episode of Dr. Phil called " Driven To Succeed" he explores what it takes to succeed in today's world. Among the guests was Sean Payton, head coach of the New Orleans saints. At a time where New Orleans was trying to rebuild itself after a natural disaster, Payton and his team served as a source of hope to the community. Another guest points out questions her granddaughter's involvement in sports. He says this is where a lot of balance comes into play.

"A lot of it is driven by her [the granddaughter]," Payton says.

A problem surfaces when it comes a parent's dream for their child to succeed in something . When that happens, the children sometimes feel forced into accomplishing the parents' dream instead of their own.

But it was the story of Brett's story that really intrigued me most of all. He was born with the rare condition that caused his arms do not form properly. But has that stopped him from living his life? No way. Growing up, he participated on basketball and football teams. His long-term goal being that he wants to play college football.

"I'm driven to succeed because I don't like people looking down on me. I know what it feels like to have people look down on me when I was younger," he says.

Does he view his disability as a excuse?

"I was born this way so I never knew any different. So I always just jumped in," says Brett.

Food for thought.

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Citation for TV program: "Driven To Succeed "Fox 5 Channel 5 WTTG 13 July 2010 (original air date:9/16/2002)

This seems appropriate..

Dear readers,

I'm home. After two weeks of not blogging, it's nice to be back and have a place to voice my thoughts. These past couple of weeks have been filled with thought-provoking memories and adventures; some of which are personal and some which I will share in the coming weeks. For now though, I thought this website was appropriate. It provides travel tips and information for people with disabilities

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/different-spokes-life-with-a-disability/2010/07/travel-website-helps-those-with-disabilities.html

Until Next Time,

Debbie

An Athlete's Journey

Hey all~



So I'm thinking about taking a break from blogging over the next few weeks. This summer is just beginning I'm already bogged down with things that need to be accomplished. It's about time I learn to enjoy things again, like reading books or spending time with family. I have come to the realization that I've put too much pressure on myself. With the surgery coming up, I want to use my time wisely..

That being said, I may be back writing sometime next week. Until then, I thought it was appreciate this article. It's yet another example that anything is possible if you work hard enough. Http://www.limed.se/the-impossible-is-possible-the-story-of-cerebral-palsy-athlete-craig-koonce/open