| Take a look at the life... |
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A few years after his accident a friend asked Vic if he would speak at his church youth group. Vic agreed. In front of the roomful of teenagers he smiled, joked and without a hint of bitterness chatted about his life. He told them that he, sitting in his wheelchair, was a good example of the curve balls life can throw at all of us.
We have no control over how that ball is thrown; how fast it's going, or how it will bounce. But we can control how we bat at it. However devastating our misfortune, we haven't lost our ability to choose. The most important choices we can make are how we decide to deal with the curve balls of life: we can let our circumstances control us, or we can control our circumstances. "But to be a victor doesn't mean you engage in a single, do-or-die fight. Sometimes victory takes small steps. But with all the radical changes the accident made to my life and my dreams, I had to do the best I could on the new road life had mapped out for me." "I learned that although it's important to set high goals, it's also vital to appreciate each small success. Sometimes we can't see the big picture. I was determined to persevere and not allow my limited vision to stand in my way. This was the first goal I set myself - a single objective that gave me a renewed sense of purpose and made me feel worthwhile. And I achieved that goal because I was passionate about achieving it. Intense desire, it seems, not only creates its own opportunities but also its own talents. When everything is going our way it's easy to be passionate about life. Anyone can steer a boat when the sea is calm; the challenge is to steer it in stormy seas. A sign of success is being able to be enthusiastic no matter how difficult the situation that you find yourself in. What would happen if you became paralysed? Think about it. Would you be devastated, unable to continue living, unable to feel the same passion for life? I became paralysed and I'm back up there with the best again, with a new vision that's mine. Troubles, difficulties, adversity: expect these, because they are an inevitable part of life, but never stop dreaming. Be like a postage stamp: stick to something until you get there. All I've done is find a way to handle my situation that works for me." |