Tag Archives: disability

Day 2069: Arrogance vs. Being Genuinely Proud of Yourself

Being proud of yourself is not arrogance – that’s what I’ve realized.

It’s 1 : 19 PM on day 2069 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Proverbs 9, sit in the car while mom went to the doctor (she’s fine minor issue), have breakfast, learn one new thing –Placing fruit in a paper bag helps to concentrate the levels of ethylene gas which is what helps induce the ripening of the above mentioned fruits (bananas/avocados, etc.). In fact, avocados and pears must be picked in order to ripen.– and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – Juliana Mullan donated $25 (thank you so much Juliana 🙂 ) which brings the total raised to $5 749 only $501 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

This morning I realized that being proud of yourself is not arrogance genuine pride in oneself is acknowledge to yourself all that you’ve achieved and who you have become despite the obstacles you have faced while arrogance is a camouflage for insecurity (thank you Tim Fargo for that succinct definition of arrogance).

Day 2068: Change and Inspire Change in Others

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You can’t change people you can change the way you treat them and hope that that inspires them to change the way they treat you – that’s what I realized today.

It’s 11 : 19 AM on day 2068 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Proverbs 7, have breakfast, learn one new thing –6 The 6-year-old child typically has a 2,600 word expressive vocabulary (words he or she says), and a receptive vocabulary (words he or she understands) of 20,000–24,000 words. 12 By the time a child is 12 years old, he/she will understand (have a receptive vocabulary) of about 50,000 words.– and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 724 only $526 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂)

Today I realized that you can’t change people you can change the way you treat them and hope that that inspires them to change the way they treat you so often in life we try to change people when we should be trying to change ourselves because truly the only person each of us will ever control is ourselves.

Day 2067: Getting Comfortable with Silence

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When you can sit in silence with yourself that’s when you know you have an okay relationship with yourself – that’s what I’ve realized.

It’s 12 : 12 PM on day 2067 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, have breakfast, learn one new thing – What is the instrument used to measure sunshine?
Measurement is performed by instruments called sunshine recorders. For the specific purpose of sunshine duration recording, Campbell–Stokes recorders are used, which use a spherical glass lens to focus the sun rays on a specially designed tape. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 724 only $526 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

Today laying on my bed staring at the ceiling I realized when you can sit in silence with yourself that’s when you know you have an okay relationship with yourself when I was younger silence used to make me acutely uncomfortable but now I can stare endlessly at the ceiling doing nothing and everything at the same time.

Day 2066: Choose a Beautiful State of Being

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Choose a beautiful state of being – that’s my message to the world.

It’s 12 : 22 PM on day 2066 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read John 3: 9-13, have breakfast, learn one new thing – The word algebra comes from the Arabic language (الجبر al-jabr “restoration”) from the title of the book Ilm al-jabr wa’l-muḳābala by al-Khwarizmi. The word entered the English language during Late Middle English from either Spanish, Italian, or Medieval Latin.– and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 724 only $526 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

Today I was thinking about what Tony Robbins said in his interview with Lewis Howes he said something like we can either choose a state of suffering or we can choose a beautiful state of being which is absolutely true every moment of our lives we can either choose to be upset about everything that’s going wrong or we can choose to be grateful for everything that’s going right.

Day 2065: 25 Smiles Campaign Four Months Later

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“The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison.” -James Cash Penney

It’s 12 : 15 PM on day 2065 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Proverbs 6, learn one new thing – In 1920, Warren G. Harding also used the phonograph, recording a speech into a horn that caused his voice to press a needle into a wax disk. The White House was brought into the modern age of communication when Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) made the first presidential radio broadcast from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.–have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 724 only $526 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

Today marks the four month anniversary of my 25 Smiles Campaign benefiting Smile Train so far sixty-four people (including me and my family) have made donations to this campaign and between us we’ve donated $5 724 I am so grateful for everyone’s amazing support ($5 724 that’s crazy amazing). Thank you Sneha Abraham, Frank Burns, Gaynor Young and Barbara Royce, Justine Perry, Madalyn Sklar, Catherine Cook, @Maewmb, David Boutin, Sarah Britten, Jim Mahar, Nancy, Rema aunty, Paul and Juliet Merrell of Big Planet Radio, Bev Bern, Julie and Don Faughnan, Amit Abraham, Benjamin and Amelia, Athira Issac, Liesel, Priyachechi, Joubert Botha, LA Janssens, Anatoli, Arun Babu, Stan Faryna, My Paper Parties, Happy Odd Girl, Adam Butler, Deepuchachen, Tinuchachechi and Jerynchachen, Duane, My Paper Parities 2, Joyce Childers, Jacqui Mackway -Wilson of Go Social SA, Kevin B (on behalf of Lesley), Meg Guegan, Susanchechi, Reshma Jacob, uncle Abraham Matthew, Debbie McMannis, Anish Krishnankutty, Ellyn Harris, Zak Ebrahim, author of The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice, Joseph John, Reshma Ravi, Wayne Mansfield, Jinuchachen, Samuel Kochukanayathil, Laura, Tim Fargo, author of Alphabet Success – Keeping it Simple. My Secrets to Success and founder of TweetJukebox (soon-to-be Social Jukebox), Shari Mason, Benjin Thomas, Bruce Sallan, Nithin Yohannan and everyone else who chose to donate anonymously for your generous donations. Thank you uncle Abraham Matthew, Jacqui Mackway-Wilson, Stephanie Young, Susannah Schaefer, Smile Train India, Sue-Ann Allen, Lakshmi Pillai, Akhil Tomy, Thara, Anjali, Sherin, Pamela Eapen Nadine Stander, Catherine Constantinides, Yusuf Abramjee, Anatoli, Cazanne, Gaynor Young, Glenda Butler, LA Janssens and everybody else for helping spread the word about this campaign. ‏

[Update January 12, 2017: Campaign ended 2 days ago. Final total raised is $10 317.04 [enough money to sponsor 41 smiles]]

Day 2064: “Never Close Your Eyes” by Adam Lambert

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“He who sings scares away his woes.” – Cervantes

It’s 12: 36 PM on day 2064 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Proverbs 3, have breakfast, learn one new thing –There are 47 countries on the African continent, including the disputed territory of Western Sahara. However, the islands off the coast are also usually listed as African, bringing the total to 53. The island nations are Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Madagascar, the Comoros, the Seychelles, and Mauritius. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 724 only $526 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

Yesterday I heard “Never Close Your Eyes” by Adam Lambert I love the music and the lyrics everything about it is awesome. Listen to “Never Close Your Eyes” by Adam Lambert below:

Day 2063: Happy Mother’s Day

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“I know that a mother, no matter how impoverished or uneducated, will do anything to save her babies.” – Jane Chen

It’s 12: 00 PM on day 2063 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, have breakfast, learn one new thing – William James Sidis is alleged to have had an IQ of 275. With an IQ between 250 and 300, Sidis has one of the highest intelligence quotients ever recorded. Entering Harvard at the ago of 11, he was fluent in more than 40 languages by the time he graduated and worked his way into adulthood. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 724 only $526 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

Today is Mother’s Day and in honour of that a few days ago I recorded a message for mom (Happy Mother’s Day Mom I meant every word I said). Take a look:

Day 2062: Profuse Expression of Appreciation

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“Silent gratitude isn’t very much to anyone.” – Gertrude Stein

It’s 12: 21 PM on day 2062 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read John 3, have breakfast, learn one new thing – Only two kinds of egg-laying mammals are left on the planet today—the duck-billed platypus and the echidna, or spiny anteater. These odd “monotremes” once dominated Australia, until their pouch-bearing cousins, the marsupials, invaded the land down under 71 million to 54 million years ago and swept them away. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $5 724 only $526 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

Today I realized although my profuse expression of appreciation may make some people uncomfortable I still need to do it because people are not mind and heart readers it’s impossible for them to know what I’m thinking and feeling unless I show them and tell them.

Day 2061: Access Earth

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The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do. ~B.F. Skinner, Contingencies of Reinforcement, 1969

It’s 12: 46 PM on day 2061 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Psalm 117 , have breakfast, learn one new thing – Unlike most other marine mammals, the sea otter has no blubber and relies on its exceptionally thick fur to keep warm. With up to 150,000 strands of hair per square centimeter (nearly one million per sq in), its fur is the densest of any animal. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign –Nithin Yohannan donated $50 (thank you so much Nithin you rock dude 🙂 ) which brings the total raised to $5 724 only $526 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

Yesterday I read about Access Earth – an app being developed by software engineer and fellow wheelchair user Matt McCann that will allow wheelchair users around the world to rate hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions based on accessibility – I love the intention of this app and I’m sure it will prove to be very useful to me in the future.

Day 2060: Goals and Who You Become to Achieve Them

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Who you become to achieve a goal is equally as important as achieving said goal – that’s what I have realized.

It’s 12: 15 PM on day 2060 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read Romans 12, have breakfast, learn one new thing – First man in space. On 12 April 1961 Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space when he orbited the Earth once during a 108 minute flight. In 1960 Gagarin, a fighter pilot, was shortlisted for the Vostok 1 programme, which built on the success of Sputnik 1 just three years earlier. – and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – Bruce Sallan donated $34 (thank you so much Bruce your ongoing support means a lot 🙂 ) which brings the total raised to $5 674 only $576 more to raise before Jan 10 2017 (SO SO SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 🙂).

Today I realized that who you become to achieve a goal is equally as important as achieving said goal there was a time when I used to be petrified of speaking in front of the camera (I was worried that people wouldn’t understand what I was trying to say) but for a cause greater than myself I forced myself to get over it and after the first time I realized there was nothing to be afraid of now I routinely record videos and publish them on my YouTube channel.