Empire State of Mind

I'm looking at 70 degree weather today and I can't tell you how much I get inspired when the sun is out! I'm not expecting this to last long so I'm trying to get the most out of it :)

Have you ever really listened to song lyrics? I do, but sometimes words hit me in a way that just pushes me to another place. Here are a few lyrics that should get you movin'

"New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York,
New York"

If if a city, task, person, etc. seems unattainable don't let it stop you. Let the big lights, dreams and inspiration of the idea push you to the attainable!

Enjoy the day!
~Jen

For those who can't read this photo...it says:
"I was born without a bone below the knees
I only stand 5 ft 2
But this is the body I have been given;
This is my weapon;
How I conquer, How I wage my war;
This is how I have broken the world record 49 times
How I became the FASTEST thing on no legs;
This is my weapon.....This is how I fight"

I have read this so many times & still find strength from it.

Oscar Pistorius is the 23 yr. old South African paralympic runner known as the "Blade Runner".
I think I have mentioned him before but he really became important to me while I was in the hospital. I was watching the news with my PT one day and the entire newscast was about Oscar and whether or not his legs were providing him an unfair advantage over able-bodied runners. I became hooked on the whole idea of that debate. The rulings on this went back & forth & created a great deal of attention.

I spoke for a business group this week & caught myself thinking of this debate while talking with them. If someone who has a difference can manage and function in a setting with those who do not have a difference...then, that becomes a difference in of itself. Sometimes people just aren't sure what to do. Are you challenged or not? MMM...

I truly believe that we attract what we give out. If we portray ourselves as different, challenged, not worthy, etc. then others will perceive that and we will attract those ideas. I look at Oscar and, even though he was born this way, he doesn't understand the idea of not being on the same level as able-bodied people and this is the mentality we should all strive for.

And don't forget...Per author Malcolm Gladwell...it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert at anything! Keep striving.

I'm looking forward to new challenges and achievements this year! I went to Austin last week and saw new challenges everywhere :-) Shopping, eating & walking all over the capital.!

Happy Thoughts for 2010

Happy New Year! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. I had a great New Year's Eve with great company & a fantastic Hibachi chef! We came home and tried to recreate some of their ridiculous tricks.

Uh, ya, not exactly the same. Anyway, this photo was recently sent to me and it took me back to a few memories of 2009.

It was taken at the lake this past summer with many friends & family. I was wanting to ski and jump in and out of the water with such ease.

Instead, I rode the jet ski (seated) then, like a twisted pretzel, got thrown from from every angle on a tube. I laughed and laughed and laughed. The tube was so hard to hang on and once I get the giggles--it's all over.

I love being in the middle of laughs, good stories & water. You can never can go wrong with that combination. But in the moment this was taken, for a split second, I was thinking about being able to stand on skiis and feel the movement like I used to. Watching everyone got me thinking. Then, I was able to remember just why I'm not standing.

When everyone else is managing all the heavy lifting of the skiis, boat cleaning and so on. I tend to have the jobs of making sure other things are taken care of and I get to learn something new about myself everyday. Sure, we all have dreams and it's healthy to have a desire to want. It's not healthy to get stuck in the want.

When the day was over, I had a great tan, good memories and stories to share. I'm taking my new life (almost 3 years now) and helping others who may not be able to ski. :) And the more I think about it, why ski when you can drive the boat? Get in control of you and watch the skiers follow. :)

Love,
Jen

26.2 Miles

As you can see, I am missing from the photos below but the reason is simple. By the time the camera got to me, I had whizzed by and was leading the race--to the next viewing zone! If you're new around here, the first picture is of my brother Matthew and the second is his wife Christy.

I had such inspiration this past weekend watching both of my brothers & sister-in-law glide through the 2009 White Rock

Marathon here in Dallas!

The determination of everyone was something that you really want to latch on to.

We saw smiles, cries, senior citizens, young kids & even missing limbs!

It was inspiring to watch all the thousands of people--many of them first timers--take a shot at such an intense undertaking. My youngest brother Ryan finished a beautiful half-marathon (13.1 miles) then another 5 with a blown out knee, just to give the others a fierce competitive edge. :) Everyone exceeded their own expectations and that is all that really matters.

In the event something is not your thing--like running a marathon--take note: say you have a "butt thing". I was at the gym walking up stairs when I noticed a youth challenged lady behind me.

Rather than having her wait on me, I told her to go ahead.

She passed without hesitancy (as if to say I should have offered sooner) then with a loving tone said "I'm going slow because I have a butt thing, what's your thing?" I couldn't even get my "thing" out as I was laughing so hard!

Here's to setting goals and making new ones!

Love,

Jen

Life Without Limbs

All I can say is, wow! Yesterday I was able to attend Nick Vujicic's event mentioned in the blog post below not once, but twice! My plan was to go once with family & friends but then thought that a special young friend of mine & P.L.A.Y. Foundation family member, Ryanne (missing both legs & parts of her hands), was attending with Scottish Rite & they had scheduled an amazing private meeting with Nick.

So, as I wasn't going to miss that opportunity, I came back and was able to listen for an hour of questions with him privately. Kids have the best way of just "getting it out there" and Nick answered every question with such wisdom and grace. They were so intrigued by how he was able to swim.

Since Nick was born without arms or legs (with no medical explanation) he was able to really enlighten the kids in the audience about self-esteem and self-empowerment. My husband and I got so much out of this experience. And Matthew H. couldn't have been more intrigued. He was smiling, laughing and was engaged with such heartfelt sincerity. It was a beautiful opportunity!

He has been all over the world speaking and touching lives of over 3 million people. What a powerful display of human courage! Apparently, Oprah is going to have him on one of her last shows in October. Saving the best for last, it couldn't be any more appropriate!

As an adult with some of his same obstacles he truly projects the concept of acceptance, of world community, of human potential. The crowd was cheering & clapping the entire time. Moments like these truly remind us how bright the human spirit is.

Icing on the cake: I was looking on his website and right on the front he has linked my website to his. I was so shocked and felt really touched as we had never met before yesterday!

Please visit Life Without Limbs and surf around. Be prepared to be inspired! Know yourself, accept yourself and let everything else be secondary. As Nick said, "You may have a mansion, money or fame, but if it's built on sand, who cares? It won't last anyway."

Love,
Jen