You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them!

The new year will bring new challenges for each one of us. We can’t avoid them. So many people give up so quickly and accept defeat as if there is no other choice. A friend once told me how his doctor predicted that he had only six months to live. My friend wasn’t satisfied with that diagnosis and pursued an alternative treatment. He got well and attended the doctors funeral ten years later.  It’s just proof that accepting defeat is a personal choice and until all solutions are exhausted there is still hope. I believe as long as there is breath in your body there is hope. I believe in miracles.

I love to read about people who overcame unbelievable odds and hardships to succeed. Those whose dreams were crushed by others and yet rose above all the obstacles and found success. Maybe there were physical limitations caused by accidents or disease but still a way was made to be victorious.

I just read an amazing story I want to share. It is about a fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force during World War II. In December of 1931 the young Douglas Bader was on the verge of becoming a pilot for the Royal Air Force when his plane crashed. He was severely injured and had to have both legs amputated. That would be a game changer for most people. Not for Douglas Bader. He vowed to continue to pursue his dream. It took 7 very long excruciating months to learn to walk using his prosthetic legs. He then learned how to fly his plane again. The medical board discharged him from the military at this point, thinking a man without real legs was less valuable.

Seven years went by and the war broke out in Europe. The war created an opportunity for the aspiring pilot to fly again. He was allowed to rejoin the airforce. He racked up 23 victories before being shot down in enemy territory in 1941. He attempted to bail from the plane but his prosthetic legs had become tangled. The strap attaching his legs miraculously broke and he managed to parachute to the ground. He was quickly captured by the Germans as he had no way to escape without his legs. He was taken to an enemy hospital to recover from his injuries. He actually convinced his captors to acquire new prosthetic legs for him! Wow. The word defeat was not in this man’s vocabulary! After receiving his new legs, he immediately tried to escape. His escape attempt was unsuccessful but this man was not one to accept failure! He was imprisoned for 4 years until the war ended. He made countless escape attempts during this time. The Germans finally had to confiscate his legs every night to prevent him from escaping.

Now that is perseverance. He continued to see himself as a success and was undaunted by any circumstances he faced. He pursued his dreams despite setbacks that would have kept most men down. We can do the same! Face your challenges like Douglas Bader faced his! See yourself as successful!?