Tag Archives: Cerebral Palsy

Day 2144: In the Arena: Chelsea Clinton at TEDxTeen 2013

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”― Theodore Roosevelt

 

It’s 12 : 18  PM on day 2144 of my journey towards independence and I managed to have breakfast, pray, read Jeremiah 17:14, learn one new thing – There are five types of bones in the human body: long, short, flat, irregular, and sesamoid –     and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign    –   raised $7 125 only  $5 375 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far  : ) ) .

 

Yesterday I watched “In the Arena: Chelsea Clinton at TEDxTeen 2013” I LOVE this talk because it’s about having the courage to participate in life. Watch “In the Arena: Chelsea Clinton at TEDxTeen 2013” below:

 

Day 2143: Participation in Life

To participate in life is a choice – that’s what I realized.

 

It’s 12 : 17  PM on day 2143 of my journey towards independence and I managed to have breakfast, pray, read Psalm 30: 2, learn one new thing – Wood pulp comes from softwood trees such as spruce, pine, fir, larch and hemlock, and hardwoods such as eucalyptus, aspen and birch. A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. –     and work on my  25 Smiles Campaign    –  yesterday  Julie donated $50   (thanks so much Julie 🙂 ) which brings the total  raised to $7 125 only  $5 375 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ) .

 

Yesterday I wasn’t feeling my best and yet I chose to get on with life every day we have excuses to sit on the side-lines of life and every day we have a choice not to use any of them.

Day 2142: Life and the Ability to Adapt

Life doesn’t always work out the way you plan those who adapt the quickest survive and thrive– that’s what I realized yesterday.

 

It’s 12 : 29  PM on day 2142 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 2 Corinthians 1: 20, learn one new thing – They have been called “striped horses.” Similar to horses, female zebras are called mares and male zebras are called stallions. Babies are called foals. Male baby zebras are called colts and female baby zebras are called fillies. –   have breakfast,  and work on my  25 Smiles Campaign    –  raised $7 075 only  $5 425 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ) .

 

Yesterday some family matters made me realize that life doesn’t always work out the way you plan those who adapt the quickest survive and thrive.

Day 2141: The Clairvoyants on America’s Got Talent

There are just some things in the world you can’t explain with words– that’s what I realized yesterday.

 

It’s 12 : 04  PM on day 2141 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Romans 8: 38-39, learn one new thing – Wasps and many bees can sting more than once because they are able to pull out their stinger without injuring themselves. Only honeybees have special hooks on their stinger that keep the stinger in the skin after a person is stung. The stinger gets torn out of the bee’s body as it tries to fly away. –   have breakfast  and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign    –  raised $7 075 only  $5 425 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far  🙂 ) .

 

Yesterday I saw The Clairvoyants performing on America’s Got Talent I can’t even find the words to describe their act you really have to see it to believe it… it’s MIND-BLOWING. Watch The Clairvoyants on America’s Got Talent below:

Day 2139: The Power of Words

Use your words carefully they have the power to heal or to hurt – that’s my message to myself and others.

 

It’s 12 :  00 PM on day 2139 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 2 Thessalonians 3:16, learn one new thing – The eyeball is the only organism which does not grow from birth. It is fully grown when you are born. When you look at a baby’s face, so see mostly iris and little white. As the baby grows, you get to see more and more of the eyeball. –   have breakfast,  and work on my  25 Smiles Campaign    –  raised $7 050 only  $5 450 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far  🙂 ) .

 

Today I was thinking about the power of words while I don’t hate anyone the hurtful things people have said to me are etched in my mind as a reminder that every word we say has the power to heal or to hurt.

Day 2138: Positive in a Negative World

Stay positive in a negative world – that’s my message to myself and others.

 

It’s 12 : 24  PM on day 2138 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Luke 1: 17,  have breakfast,  learn one new thing –The rule of thumb used by most antique dealers is that anything about 100 years or older is an antique. Items that are old, but not quite that old, are called vintage.-  and work on my  25 Smiles Campaign    – yesterday  Jim Mahar  donated $25 and Anonymous donated $10  (thanks Jim and Anonymous 🙂 ) which brings the total  raised to $7 050 only  $5 450 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ) .

 

Yesterday I made a conscious decision to be positive despite being bombarded by the bad things going on in the world and while it didn’t change my environment I’m still positive which is great because I believe that our individual mindsets either contributes to or contaminates our collective mindset.

Day 2137: Giving and Selfishness

Giving is selfish on my part – that’s what I realized yesterday.

 

It’s 12 : 00  PM on day 2137 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Psalm 91: 4, learn one new thing –The term sand dollar (or sea cookie or snapper biscuit in New Zealand, or pansy shell in South Africa) refers to species of extremely flattened, burrowing sea urchins belonging to the order Clypeasteroida. –   have breakfast,  and work on my  25 Smiles Campaign    –  raised $7 015 only  $5 485 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ) .

 

Yesterday I realized that giving is actually selfish on my part it’s sort of a coping mechanism it takes my mind off my challenges and forces me to look outward.

Day 2136: Catherine Constantinides on Starting Point

“You will turn out ordinary if you’re not careful!!!” – Catherine Constantinides

 

It’s 12 : 36  PM on day 2136 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, have breakfast, read Philippians 4:6-7, learn one new thing – Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels. –     and work on my  25 Smiles Campaign    –  yesterday Nay731 donated $25 (thanks Nay) which brings the total  raised to $7 015 only  $5 485 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂 ) .

 

Recently I watched an episode of Starting Point featuring my first and last forever and always superhero  Catherine Constantinides and I just have to share it (I’m so in support of everything Catherine does because although our lives are so different our beliefs and values are the same (I love the people in my life really I do but when I start talking about my crazy plans to make a difference their immediate reaction is to redirect me onto a path that they think my life should follow Catherine is one of the only people who  does not do that she will never know how much I truly love her for that)). Watch “Catherine Constantinides on [ED]” below:

Day 2134: Mandela Day 2016

“We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.” –  Nelson Mandela

 

It’s 12 : 30  PM on day 2134 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 3 John 11, learn one new thing – The six most common elements in living things are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Atoms of these elements combine and form thousands of large molecules. These large molecules make up the structures of cells and carry out many processes essential to life.-   have breakfast,  and work on my  25 Smiles Campaign    –  raised $6 990 only  $5 510 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂  ) .

 

Today being Mandela Day – a day during which people all over the world spend 67 minutes of their time in service of others in honour of the late Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of service – and what would have been Mr. Mandela’s 98th birthday I urge everybody to fellow in his footsteps and serve the world every day not just on July 18th. Happy Birthday Tata Madiba I try every day to carry on from where you left off I promise not to embarrass you.

Day 2133: I Love

Only love can eliminate hate – that’s what I’ve realized.

 

It’s 2 : 16  PM on day 2133 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 2 Peter 3:7, learn one new thing – Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla was born in July of 1856, in what is now Croatia. He came to the United States in 1884, and briefly worked with Thomas Edison before the two parted ways. He sold several patent rights, including those to his alternating-current machinery, to George Westinghouse. –   have breakfast, go with my family to drop my sister off at the airport (she’s back to versity after winter break),  and work on my  25 Smiles Campaign    –  raised $6 990 only  $5 510 more to raise to reach my second goal of raising $12 500 for Smile Train before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂  ) .

 

Yesterday in an effort to push back against all the hate that surrounds us in the world right now I made a list of all the people and things I love. Take a look:

 

The Love List

 

  1. I love my parents and siblings
  2. I love my cousins, aunties, uncles and ammachi
  3. I love my friends
  4. I love my long-suffering physiotherapist, Gerda Bence
  5. I love my favourite dentist Nadine Stander
  6. I love my first and last forever and always superhero Catherine Constantinides
  7. I love praying first thing in the morning (it takes me a few minutes every morning but it’s so worth my time God has woken me up every morning the least I can do is say “thank you” and besides praying centers me)
  8. I love saying out loud all the people and things I’m grateful for (I do it right after I pray some people think it’s a bit much but it’s a fantastic way to start the day)
  9. I love hanging out outside and staring at the trees, flowers and big blue sky (the neighbours probably think I’m a whackjob but I care not what people think of me it makes me happy)
  10. I love watching really sweet and sometimes cheesy marriage proposals on YouTube (don’t judge me seeing other people happy gives me joy)
  11. I love Muesli & Yoghurt or Peanut Butter-Banana sandwiches (I enjoy the simple pleasures in life)
  12. I love knowing as a matter of fact that the world is a tiny bit better because I’m in it.