Inspirational People – Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve was a well known American actor, best known for his role as the super-hero “Superman”. In 1995, aged 43, Reeve fell from his horse and landed on his head. The accident shattered is 1st and 2nd vertebrae in his neck. Although doctors were able to repair his neck, he was left a paralysed from the neck down. Reeve powered his wheel chair by sucking or blowing on a straw to activate it.

Strength, Resilience and Optimism

Some people would have given up at this point. However he continued to fight his physical limitations with incredible strength, resilience and optimism.

It wasn’t easy for him. In fact the former Superman admitted that he cried every day dealing with the reality of being in a wheelchair. “In the morning, I need twenty minutes to cry,” he said. “To wake up and make that shift, you know, and to just say, “This really sucks”… to really allow yourself the feeling of loss … still needs to be acknowledged.” But after his long, hard cry each day, he would tell himself, “And now, forward!”

We Are All Prisoners In Life

In some way or another, we are all prisoners in life – some by limited thinking, others by physical limitation. We must learn to navigate our way through those limitations, to the degree to which we are aware of them. In some cases other people will be the ones who point out where we are stuck in patterns of limitation. We get to choose whether or not we adapt and move beyond those limitations. Or, we can choose to stay stuck in excuses and wallow in dissatisfaction, without truly seeing what we are capable of.

Living Life On Purpose

Reeves believed that there is a cosmic reason for everything, and that his accident was meant to serve a purpose. So, in the face of enormous frustration, he strived to make a difference. Some of the ways he did this included:

Serving as a voice for the paralysed in the USA
Being a vocal advocate for medical research to help quadriplegics
Inspiring audiences as a speaker
Helping to found the Creative Coalition who concern themselves with the environment, homelessness and the protection of the National Endowment for the Arts

He also went on to direct the HBO film “In the Gloaming” which starred Glenn Close, Bridget Fonda, and Whoopi Goldberg, recording documentaries and TV specials. so, even though he had some physical limitations, he was able to have a very full, rewarding and productive life.

Your Life Has Purpose Too

Whether you know it or not, your life has purpose too. Your ways of living on purpose should be written into your Life Mission Statement so that you can keep connecting with it, as you read it and take actions line with it. It you don’t know what your purpose is, make this your year of discovering what it is and how you can live more in alignment with it. If you are already living on purpose, make this your year of touching more lives with it.

Whatever your situation, you can overcome many limitations with persistence, a desire to find a solution, and a willingness to trying different options. Overcoming difficulties is a part of living on purpose.

Remember – “if it’s to be it’s up to me”. Take at least one action step today towards achieving your goals and creating the life you desire.

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With warm regards

Lisa