Tag Archives: Gratitude

Day 1289: On my 23rd birthday a word of thanks

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“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” – Betty Friedan

 

It’s 12  : 00  PM on day 1289 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to  pray,   brush my teeth, publish my Disability of the Day feature,  promote my Eradicate AIDS campaign –  Juliet Merrell donated $15 and my mom donated $30 to my campaign in honour of my birthday(thank you guys)  which brings my total raised to $519.47 only $480.53 more to raise in 111 days –  feed myself boiled egg and bran flakes for breakfast, read Job 23,    continue promoting my campaign –  Drea Crysel of @NewScience101 made a donation (thanks again Drea)  which brings my total raised to $529.47 I am so happy that my birthday and my being alive in general is going to be good for other people I don’t want to be just another person emitting carbon dioxide I want to change the world in a positive way –  and practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles.

 

Today being my 23rd birthday I would like to thank my family, friends (both online and offline) and medical team for helping me get this far in life I literally wouldn’t be here without them they are the wind beneath my wings.

Day 1211: 365 Grateful

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“The secret to happiness…be satisfied and be grateful.” ― Mitch Albom, Have a Little Faith: a True Story

 

It’s  3: 00 PM on day 1211 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, pray,    read 2 Chronicles 14, publish my Disability of the Day feature, feed myself boiled egg wraps for breakfast, do crosswords, do research about HIV/AIDS and hang out with my family.

 

Yesterday I came across 365 Grateful –  a gratitude journal in the form of pictures created by Hailey Bartholomew that has inspired thousands of people to be more grateful in their own lives – I could totally relate to what Hailey said about gratitude changing her life being grateful doesn’t solve all your problems what it does is shift your focus from all the things you don’t have to all the things you do have. Hear the story of how 365 Grateful began below:

Day 1208: Opening your eyes to all that you have

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No matter how hard you try you can’t get people to see what they don’t want to see- that’s what I keep realizing.

 

It’s  12 : 07 PM on day 1208 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth,  read 2 Chronicles 11, publish my Disability of the Day feature, feed myself tomato, onion and capsicum scrambled egg with bread for breakfast, pray, listen to music and hang out with my family.

 

Yesterday I was talking to someone about money and he kept insisting that he didn’t have money even though I knew for a fact that he had more money than most I was so pissed off because no matter how much you have if you keep saying I don’t have I don’t have then you will never have enough. Do you often try to get people to see what they don’t want to see?

Day 1194: Do you sometimes feel like your life is a punishment?

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Life is a gift not a punishment – that’s what I try to remind myself.

 

It’s 1  : 44 PM on day 1194 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to  pray,  brush my teeth, read 1 Chronicles 27, publish my Disability of the Day feature,    feed myself  chickpea curry wraps for breakfast, spend time outside made sandwiches as part of Virginia’s Sandwich Run  and listen to music.

 

This morning I felt like life with Cerebral Palsy was a punishment but then I thought of people who are going through worse nothing seems so bad when you look through the lens of gratitude.  Do you sometimes feel like your life is a punishment?

Day 1128: End of anti-slavery campaign thank you SO MUCH everyone

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I would be nothing without God and the people who help me – that’s what I keep learning.

 

It’s 12 : 18 PM on day 1128 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read 1 Kings 7,  publish my Disability of the Day feature,  tweet and Facebook about my campaign -$1050 raised –   feed myself boiled egg and Bran Flakes for breakfast,   continue promoting my campaign – still on $1050 with 8 hours to go –  practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles and stretch my hamstrings.

 

As you may or may not know my anti-slavery campaign ends today so far 18 030 people have visited my fundraising page of which 29 people have donated to help me raise $1 050 for the Not For Sale Campaign. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who donated and helped spread the word I appreciate it more than I can express.

 

(Update: The campaign is over the total raised remained at $1050)

Day 971: Be grateful even for the things you wish you didn’t have to have

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Be grateful even for the things you wish you didn’t have to have because some people don’t have those things –that’s what I keep learning 🙂

It’s  2  : 51 PM on day 971 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, feed myself bread and a boiled egg for breakfast,  pray, read Numbers 24, publish my Disability of the Day feature,   practice typing with both hands and  practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles.

Yesterday while my mom and I were at physiotherapy my dad went to order me a new wheelchair apparently a run-of-the-mill wheelchair costs anywhere between R4 000 and R8 000 when I heard that I couldn’t help but think of all the people who don’t have extra money laying around to buy wheelchairs for their kids sure it sucks that I have to use a wheelchair to get around but at least I have a wheelchair I should ask the people we’re buying a new wheelchair from whether they can fix this wheelchair and give it to someone in need.   Are you grateful even for the things you wish you didn’t have to have because you know that some people don’t have those things?

I LOVE hearing from you feel free to leave a comment below.

Day 954

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Be grateful for the ordinary days– that’s what I keep learning  🙂

It’s  5  : 41 PM on day 954 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to stretch my hamstrings, brush my teeth, feed myself an avocado sandwich for breakfast,  pray, read Numbers 7, publish my Disability of the Day feature, work/practice typing with both hands, tweet and Facebook about my campaign – still on 6% with 82 days to go – read Mommy’s Eulogy to her Superhero… on Chasing Rainbows,    practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles,  feed myself pasta and chicken for lunch and watch TV.

Today has been positively tiring with therapies, work and promoting my anti-slavery campaign but I’m grateful at least I’m alive to be tired there are a lot of people who would have given an arm and a leg to be in my position.

I LOVE hearing from you feel free to leave a comment below.

Day 946

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Philanthropy has taught me gratitude and graciousness – that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 12 : 58 PM on day 946 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth,  pray, feed myself a boiled egg for breakfast, drink milk by myself,  practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles, read Leviticus 26, read The End on Chasing Rainbows – I literally wept reading the post I can’t imagine what it’s like to give a child life and have to watch him die it must be like having someone rip your heart out of your chest –     publish my Disability of the Day feature,  practice typing with both hands,  take off my dirty t-shirt and put a clean t-shirt on and  stretch my hamstrings.

Today I realized philanthropy has taught me the two G’s of life gratitude and graciousness when somebody says sorry I can’t donate to your cause right now (which has happened many times in my life) I respect that and move on to the next person eventually someone does say yes, of course I will donate to your cause and when that happens I am immensely grateful because I know there are lots of other things they could have done with that money but they chose to donate it to my cause.    What have you learned from philanthropy that has helped you in all areas of your life?

I LOVE hearing from you feel free to leave a comment below.

Day 912

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You can be grateful for everything you have and still be sad for all the things you don’t have  – that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 2 : 26 PM on day 912 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to     brush my teeth,  pray,   read Exodus 32, publish my Disability of the Day feature,  practice typing with both hands, feed myself a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast,listen to music – I LOVE LOVE LOVE Carly Rose Sonenclar X Factor USA 2012 runner-up – and  practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles.

Today I was having one of those I-wish-I-could-switch-bodies-with-someone-else days people sometimes see me crying and ask why are you crying well I’ll tell you I’m 21 (almost 22) and I still need someone to take me to the bathroom on top of that when I ask someone to do something for me they ask do you need me to do it now like it’s a huge inconvenience or something so excuse me if I cry a few tears of frustration once in a while I’m allowed I doubt the people who ask me why I’m crying could deal  with my life as well as I am. Are you sometimes grateful for everything you have and sad for all the things you don’t have?

I LOVE hearing from you feel free to leave a comment below.

Day 871

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A few bad moments don’t have to make a bad day– that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s  6 : 58 PM on day 871 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to take off my dirty shirt – I had trouble unbuttoning one of the  buttons but I’ll keep practicing I know that one  day I will be able to button and unbutton  my shirts by myself 🙂 –  brush my teeth, put a clean t-shirt on, stretch my hamstrings, publish my Disability of the Day feature,feed myself rice and curry for lunch and watch TV.

Today was one of those days where everything I did went wrong until I took a figurative step back and thought about all the things I have to be grateful for I think what we as people need is a mind-set shift we get so focused on all the things that are wrong with our lives that we hardly notice all the things we have to be grateful for.   Do you decide you’re having a bad day as soon as a few things don’t go your way?

I LOVE hearing from you feel free to leave a comment below.