Sh.. Happens!

By Robert Ringer

At least once or twice a week, I meet someone, or see someone on television, who really inspires me. A few weeks ago, my inspiration came from a remarkable, upbeat young woman by the name of Cara Fortunato.

I met Cara at a high school where my son was playing in a tournament. After his game, he and I happened to pass the open door to her office and saw that she was watching a college game on television. We asked if she would mind if we joined her.

As the game progressed, we struck up a conversation with Cara about her life and career. She told us that she coached the girls’ basketball team for the middle school. At one point, she said, "I get so mad at the girls when they don’t follow my instructions, it drives me crazy."

She went on to say, "So I get out on the floor with them and try to show them how I want them to move. But it gets frustrating, sometimes, because I have to drag this darn thing around with me." At that point, she pulled up her right pant leg slightly and slapped a leg that was all metal.

I don’t know about you, but no matter how much of this kind of thing I see, it always gets my attention. I asked her how she lost her leg, and she explained that it happened in a freak accident in California about five years ago.

I didn’t quite catch all the details, but the bottom line was that she was standing in the wrong place when a huge truck started rolling down a hill. She got caught between that truck and another one behind her, and the next thing she knew she was, as she described it, "rolling end over end downhill."

When she got to the bottom of the hill, she thought she had escaped a near-fatal accident by the skin of her teeth, because she didn’t feel any pain. But when she checked herself out, she found that her right leg was missing. She later discovered that her leg was still lodged between the two trucks at the top of the hill.

Today, Cara displays an incredibly enthusiastic, high-energy personality, and clearly has a zest for life. As she put it, "Hey, sh-- happens in life. When I wake up every morning, the first thing I think of is how lucky I am to be alive."

We all hear and see these kinds of stories every day — which is good, because we need to continually be reminded of how lucky we are. With few exceptions, no matter how heavy your burdens, you can always find people who have much heavier crosses to bear. Socrates summed it up so well when he said, "If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own."

Remember, a handicap is anything that makes achievement more difficult. Which means that everyone has handicaps — physical or otherwise. But just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Put another way, you don’t necessarily overcome your handicaps. That’s usually not possible. The object is to succeed in spite of your handicaps. And that is possible.

As just one example, a fellow by the name of Pete Grey played Major League Baseball back in the forties, albeit briefly, with one arm. In the minor leagues, he hit .333 one year, had five homeruns, tied a league record by stealing 68 bases, and was named the Southern Association’s most valuable player. Grey never got his arm back, but he succeeded in spite of it.

What are your handicaps? Lower-than-average IQ? Lack of education? A poverty stricken childhood? Do yourself a favor and make an honest list of your handicaps. Then, factor them into your planning ... and make a commitment to succeed in spite of them.

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