“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” — Shel Silverstein
Have you ever felt like your dreams are bigger than you are?
Like wanting to travel to exotic places or become a millionaire or write a best-selling book? Dreams so grand, so distant, they seem like stars glittering and unreachable in the night.
And what of the small dreams? The everyday ones?
Like going back to school, falling in love, or landing a better paying job. Those things aren’t unreachable — people do it all the time — and yet … it still seems so difficult. Sure, you know it’s possible, theoretically, but with everything you’re dealing with, you can’t for the life of you see how it’s possible for you to do it. At least not right now.
Money, time, current responsibilities, past commitments — there are a gazillion obstacles standing in your way. The idea of dealing with all those things, of overcoming them, of finally getting into a position where you can do what you’ve always dreamed about … it seems nearly impossible. Not as distant as the stars, perhaps, but it would certainly be like walking on the moon.
The good news?
While I can’t say overcoming all those obstacles will be easy, it’s certainly possible. In many ways, I’m living proof.
Proof You Can Overcome Anything
I have a type of muscular dystrophy called SMA that slowly makes you weaker and weaker until you can’t move at all. In my early 20s, I lost the ability to move anything but my face, and I was totally dependent on welfare to survive. Even the simplest dreams like getting a job, taking a vacation, or renting my own apartment seemed as impossible as walking on the moon or circling the stars.
And yet … years later, I’ve accomplished each and every one of those things.
Not only did I get a job, but I used speech recognition software and a lip-operated mouse to start an online magazine that’s now worth millions of dollars.
Not only did I take a vacation, but I convinced my caregivers to help me travel across the United States and Mexico.
Not only did I rent my own apartment, but I could afford to live in luxury, a stone’s throw away from the ocean.
Was any of it easy? Simple? Fast?
Hell no. Building the life of my dreams was the scariest, most difficult thing I’ve ever done.
But I did it. Not through luck or genius or powerful connections, but by learning to use my brain in a way that few people do.
In this post, I’ll show you the exact method I used to make it all happen. Nothing for sale, and no “woo woo” stuff. This is the entire method, and it’s packed with actionable (albeit difficult) advice.
Let’s get started.
Step One: Reconstruct Reality
What? I told you this wasn’t going to be easy. 🙂
But listen…
Most people in wheelchairs believe it’s impossible for them to get a job, travel, or support themselves. It’s not that they don’t want it — they are aching to do all those things — but no one they know has ever done it, everyone around them assumes they will never do it, and so any time hope starts to kindle inside them, they ruthlessly crush it because, in their world, it’s not realistic.
The solution?
Switch to a reality where it is realistic.
For several years leading up to starting my own business, I ruthlessly eliminated anything that even suggested I was powerless and replaced it with concrete proof that I wasn’t. In other words, I deliberately “brainwashed” myself into believing I could do the impossible.
For example:
- I listened to podcasts and audiobooks that told stories of people accomplishing incredible things for 4-8 hours a day. The goal? Drown out the negative. Anytime I was around negative people or having negative thoughts, I would pop in the earbuds and listen. Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, biographies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Christopher Reeve. Hours every day, I listened to stories and motivational speakers suggesting I could do anything, and in time, I believed them.
- I refused to hang out with other disabled or impoverished people. Not because I thought I was “better” than them, but because they represented what I was, rather than what I wanted to become. To replace them, I found a real estate club I could join for only $100 per year, and I brazenly asked the top investors in the club if they would take me to lunch and answer my questions. Amused by the cocky kid in a wheelchair, they agreed, and suddenly I was spending 2-3 hours a day with millionaires. By the end of the year, I thought of myself as one of them, not because I was rich, but because I now spent more time with them than anyone else.
- I replaced all TV time with reading time. TV is full of stories of murder, betrayal, and pain. It’s riveting, but it also messes with your mind. Once I figured this out, I started going to the library every day instead of watching TV. After about a year, I finished every book of interest to me, so I switched to Barnes and Noble. I couldn’t afford the books, so I sat in the aisles and read them cover to cover, my caregivers turning the pages for me. Within a few years, I’d read hundreds of books on self-improvement, investing, philosophy, psychology, and diet. My brain became an encyclopedia of actionable, realistic ideas for making my life better.
The result?
Day by day, month by month, year by year, my conception of “realistic” began to stretch, and I saw the world entirely differently. Not just because of positive thinking, but because I had replaced everything in my reality that suggested anything less.
The truth:
You can’t think your way out of a crappy life. The only way out is to construct a world where incredible things aren’t impossible; they are expected, even commonplace. Then you must live in that world, spending more time there than you do in the current one.
In time, it will change you. Your thoughts, beliefs, and actions will begin to reflect the world you constructed, rather than the world you live in. Bit by bit, you will become a different person, a better version of yourself, someone capable of achieving things the old you couldn’t.
And that’s when you’re ready to discover “the price.”
Step Two: Pay the Price
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re in a magical store.
Everywhere you look, there’s something you deeply desire. Experiences, material possessions, even other people — they are all for sale.
The catch?
None of the price tags have a dollar figure on them. Instead, they list the sacrifices you must make to “buy” them.
Want to become a successful entrepreneur?
You can “buy” it for the price of 10-20 years where you teeter on the edge of bankruptcy, sleep for only 4-6 hours a night, listen to everyone calling you a fool, and struggle in silence against your fears and anxiety, burdened with the knowledge that you can never reveal to your employees or investors how scared you are, because they depend on you to give them confidence.
“Gah, that’s terrible,” you say. “The price is too high.”
So, you reach over to a more reasonable one: a family who loves you.
You can “buy” it for the price of 30-50 years where you put their needs ahead of your own, worry about their safety, take jobs that pay well instead of ones that fulfill you, fight traffic on the way to work for an hour every day because you live in the suburbs, ignore every member of the opposite sex who attracts you, and die with the secret, quiet question of what your life would’ve been like if you had chosen to stay single and pursue your passions instead.
“Umm … this store sucks,” you say. And indeed it does, but the terrible truth is it’s totally real.
Most people go through life under the illusion that they can get everything they want without sacrificing anything they already have. A better job, time to travel, a healthy body — we want it all, but only if it’s painless, simple, and effortless.
The problem?
Life doesn’t work that way. Everything you want comes at a price, and your ability to obtain it depends on two things:
- Your awareness of the sacrifices you’ll have to make
- Your willingness to make those sacrifices
An example to illustrate:
When I decided to become an entrepreneur, I bought the biographies of Michael Dell, Richard Branson, and dozens of others. As I read through their stories, I paid special attention to what they had to give up to get to where they are.
I didn’t care about the rewards. I didn’t care about the little tips and strategies they used. I cared about the sacrifices.
After reading the books, I made a gigantic list of them, and then I asked myself, “Are you willing to make the sacrifices to become a successful entrepreneur?” At first, I wasn’t sure. The price seemed awfully high, and let’s be honest: sometimes you pay the price, and you still don’t get the result. It was frightening, depressing, enough to make me reconsider.
Ultimately, though, I decided to go for it. I committed to a 10-20 year roller coaster ride, put all other commitments on the back burner, and started working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, dedicating myself to my company, heart, mind, and soul.
How about you?
What do you want in life? What sacrifices must you make to get those things? Are you really, truly willing to pay the price?
These are the questions you have to answer. Once you do, you’re ready for the last and most difficult step…
Step Three: Put a Gun to Your Head
“Raymond, you are going to die.”
He kneels behind a convenience store, Tyler Durden holding a gun a foot from his head. Raymond begins crying, whimpering softly as Tyler flips through his wallet.
“An expired community college student ID,” Tyler says. “What did you study, Raymond?”
“S-stuff.”
“Stuff? Were the mid-terms hard? I asked you what you studied!”
“Biology, mostly.”
Tyler puts the gun to the back of his skull. “What did you want to be?”
“A veterinarian! Animals and stuff.”
“And stuff, yeah I got that. That means you have to get more schooling.”
“Too much school,” Raymond sobs.
“Would you rather be dead? Would you rather die? Here, on your knees in the back of a convenience store?”
“No, please no!”
Tyler lowers his gun, takes out Raymond’s license, and throws the wallet in front of him. “I’m keeping your license. I’m gonna check in on you. I know where you live. If you’re not on your way to becoming a veterinarian in six weeks, you will be dead. Now run on home.”
Raymond scrambles away from him, running into the night. Tyler smiles. “Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel’s life,” he says.
And it’s true.
It’s not just a scene from a movie (Fight Club, in this case). It’s actually the final secret to success.
Years ago, I was just barely scraping by on Medicaid, the economy was in the toilet, and two terrible things happened at once:
- Medicaid sent me a letter in the mail telling me they were canceling my healthcare, removing not only my insurance but also taking away the nurses who took care of me every day.
- The company my mother was working for went belly up, and she got laid off. No severance package, no notice, just “We’re shutting down. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
Suddenly, our situation consisted of an unemployed mom taking care of a severely disabled son with multiple conditions that would almost certainly kill him if he didn’t receive medical care, and we had no health insurance or money to pay doctors.
Damn.
I called Medicaid, explaining the severity of the situation. The caseworker paused, thinking. “If it’s really that bad, the best thing for you would be to move into a nursing home until your mother can find employment. We can pay for that if you like.”
I just stared at the phone. Then I hung up.
A few weeks later, we packed everything we owned into our minivan and drove over 2,000 miles to Mexico where healthcare was cheaper. Not because we wanted to, not because it was some brilliant plan, but because it was the only way to survive.
Years later, people think it’s incredible. They ask, “How did you find the courage to do that?”
Every time I hear that question, it makes me want to laugh hysterically. The only alternative was to move into a freaking nursing home. Do you know what happens to people in government-supported nursing homes? They die. Fast. Sometimes it’s because they’re sick, but the real reason is those kinds of nursing homes are the worst imaginable place to live, and they die just so they don’t have to stay there anymore.
For me, the situation was quite literally life and death. I had a gun to my head, and I did the only thing I could think of to survive.
The moral of the story?
Most people think it’s a tale of courage and persistence, a feel-good story of a young man and his mom who overcame the odds, and I suppose it is, but it’s also a testament to the astonishing, almost limitless power of having a gun to your head.
If you know what you need to do, and you’re struggling to make yourself do it, you might think, “Oh, it’s because I suck. I don’t have the self-discipline of people like Jon.” Wrong! It’s because you don’t have a gun to your head forcing you to take action whether you like it or not.
The solution:
It sounds crazy, but put a gun to your head. Deliberately.
Now, let me be clear: I’m not talking about a real gun. Under no circumstances should you have somebody shoot you if you fail to achieve your goals.
Not because it wouldn’t work, but because there are less severe options. A few examples:
- If you’re struggling to lose weight, take a few naked pictures of yourself, give them to somebody you trust and tell them to post them on Facebook in front of everyone you know if you haven’t lost 20 pounds within three months.
- If you’re struggling to find the courage to start your own freelance writing business, write an email resigning from your job, and then use a service like Letter Me Later to automatically send the email six months from now.
- If you’re struggling to quit smoking, write a check for $1,000+, give it to a service like Stickk, and commit yourself to quitting within 60 days, or you lose the money.
“But Jon,” you moan. “I could never do that! It’s crazy!”
My response:
If that sounds crazy to you, then you don’t want it bad enough. Accept that about yourself, and go back to step two, choosing a different objective you really do care about.
Because this is certain…
The only way to succeed is if the pain of doing something is less than the pain of doing nothing. You must, therefore, increase the pain of doing nothing.
If you’ve tried and failed and tried and failed, and yet you still believe you have the self-discipline to accomplish your goals without any stakes, you are lying to yourself. You need to accept that you lack self-discipline, and build an environment that forces you to succeed anyway.
Is it scary? Risky? Painful? Potentially disastrous?
Yes! But that’s why it’s powerful.
And that leads us to one final lesson before I close for today…
Embrace the Smallness
What do all the steps in this process have in common?
None of them require you to grow.
They lead to growth. No question about that.
But they each allow you to take that first, scary step without changing anything about yourself.
And that’s key.
If you have big goals, you might feel like you need to grow before you can ever attempt them. You need more self-discipline, more energy, more knowledge, more experience.
More, more, more, more, more…
But that’s wrong.
Instead of expecting yourself to be more than you are, instead of fighting that feeling of smallness, embrace it. Accept that you are small, and then envision a world where it doesn’t matter.
A world where ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things. A world where you can have anything you want simply by agreeing to pay the price. A world where you can achieve anything you imagine without super human self-discipline.
It’s not a fairytale. It’s the world we live in.
You just have to open your eyes to it.
So open up, dear one. See the world the way it really is.
And then realize you have everything — and I mean everything — you need to succeed.
Right freaking now.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 12:37 pm
Thank you for this. I’ve been thinking a lot about putting the gun to my head, lately. Now I shall see how best to do it.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 12:38 pm
…that is, which gun is best to put to my head!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:14 pm
Excellent! Just don’t forget about taking the other two steps first.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 5:46 am
Great article. I’m reading Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart. It’s good. Thanks for your writing.
Apr 11, 2017 @ 4:40 pm
This is a great post! Keep on keeping on is my motto. And we do have to be hungry for our goals and dreams to manifest.
Does anyone here believe in visualization or mediation techniques? Dr. Rick Levy offers, ” Miraculous Health, How to heal your body by unleashing the hidden power of the mind” This book isn’t just about health. It can be applied toward anything you want to happen in your life.
And Jon, you are an amazing person that is truly an inspiration to follow.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 12:50 pm
Wish I could think of something useful to say in response that adequately expresses my thanks.
But, I can’t – I’ll only burble on pretending I’m showing gratitude.
Instead, I’ll share this essay on FB, knowing that it will inspire many, will acknowledge your contribution to humanity’s elevation and I will sincerely thank you.
In anticipation of the next time.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:14 pm
Thank you! Always appreciate the shares on FB.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 12:52 pm
Bloody awesome mate you just kicked my ass big time Thank you I look forward to meeting you one day soon.
Matiu Kiwi from New Zealand
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:20 pm
Definitely. One of these days, I’m going to take a trip to New Zealand. We’ll have to do a little meet up.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 12:57 pm
Great post Jon, – goes without saying:) I think I’ll go for a tank so I can’t dodge the barrel as I squirm from paying the price.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 3:48 pm
🙂
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:00 pm
Thanks, Jon. Love the email about how patient we are. Would wait forever for another post from you. Didn’t have to wait forever this time, whew. I know for a freakin’ fact that I’m not hungry enough to make it as a freelance writer … yet. I’m getting small enough, though, and I’m getting frustrated enough, and I’m so proud of you (bust my buttons), and I only know you online. Just thanks, for your words. Like Dorothy, I have everything I need to succeed, and I’m still running around in OZ. Time to head home.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 1:36 pm
YOU are a writer: out of all the replies yours stuck with me. Keep writing my friend: you have the talent it takes. I pray you find the faith. 34.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 11:26 pm
Thank you, Stephanie. Thank you. And Bless You.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:06 pm
You inspire me. You make me grateful. You make me think, consider and dream.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 10:55 am
Ditto!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:06 pm
Thank you so very much, Jon for your wisdom and guidance. Ever since your original post, I look forward to the next one and here it is today! You are such an amazing blessing to me and this world. Words cannot describe how much you bring to this world in more ways than I can count. May God continue to bless you, as you bless countless others in such profound and significant ways. Thanks for always being real. You rock, Jon and I adore you! Sending you BIG ((HUGS)), my friend. 🙂
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:07 pm
Thanks for such a thought challenging post. God bless you.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:16 pm
Your words always inspire me, Jon. (And this was SO worth the wait!)
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:20 pm
Well said Jon!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:22 pm
You are amazing Jon Morrow! Thank you for this article.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:29 pm
Thank you so much John for this new post! I have not been impatient, rather I have been longing for a new message from you, and what a timing!! I so needed this kick in the butt! Not only do I admire what you have accomplished, I am also a die-hard fan of your inredibly witty and articulate writing, too! You are a blessing, and I am eternally grateful for allowing me, allowing us to take a look at our lives, our procrastination, our fears, our self-abusive perfectionism and self-doubts from a totally different prospective! God bless you!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:35 pm
Wow.
Just.
Wow.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
Jon,
I HAD been wondering where you were! 🙂
Thank you SO much!!! I can’t stop crying & it’s such a good thing!
Again, thank you!!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 3:50 pm
Most welcome. 🙂
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:48 pm
Hey Jon,
I remember the blog post you wrote on Smart Blogger where you told bloggers that it took 4-6 years to develop a wealth-earning blog and that if they weren’t willing to pay that price, they should quit.
I loved it. I thought about it, and I decided it was worth the time and effort. In part, that blog post you wrote gave me the guts to get published on that same site.
I’ve made it to the point of truly believing I’ll never quit, because the reward is worth the price, and in terms of the relative time we don’t even have that much left anyways.
The only real price to pay is regret.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 3:50 pm
Regret is indeed a price of doing nothing. One that many people often forget.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:50 pm
Thank you Jon Morrow- you never disappoint!
And this is what I needed to hear to get myself out of being stuck in misery.
With deep admiration & gratitude,
Gita
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:52 pm
… Thank you, Jon – for baring yourself to our scrutiny, and empowering us to follow in your footsteps (wheel ruts?)… if we dare. Your inspiration is without bounds, as is my gratitude.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:53 pm
Excellent post, Jon!
This is exactly what I needed right now because sometimes I find myelf complacent and forget how bad I want the goal and the life of my dreams.
I’ll make sure to deliberately put that gun on my head. There should be no excuses on my part if I really really really want it.
You’re an inspiration, Jon! 🙂
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:53 pm
Fear has kept me from accomplishing my dream of being a full time mortgage agent. Fear of losing what i already have. I do still that little voice that says you can have the success of doing your own business, living the dream, take care of my mom and go on the vacations. I turn away from the visions of being free from money worries and of enjoying the life I envisioned and back to the fear.
Thanks for sending this at the right time. I was watching some educational videos and thinking of pushing forward with the business. This is so on cue!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 4:01 pm
You can absolutely have it, but it does mean risking what you have now. The question is, are you willing to take that risk? I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer, by the way. It’s just something you have to decide for yourself.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 1:57 pm
Your post came at the exact right time. I mean EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME. I’m here. I paying attention.
Thank you. You are the best.
If you can do this, I can too. You are a lifeline.
Annie
Mar 23, 2017 @ 2:03 pm
Dear Jon,
You rock!!
And this (not so little) post is going to be the first post I share in my new group!
Power. Passion. Sans-Politeness. (not sure if that ‘s a word but it’ll do for now).
Love ya work,
Sharon
PS. How can I interview you?
Mar 23, 2017 @ 2:04 pm
Ahhhh Jon I love this!
The gun to the head part realy resonated with me. I am at a place like you described, where I feel I don’t have enough discipline to move my business forward. But you are you right – if I knew for sure that resignation letter would send 6 month from now, I would have no choice but to hustle my ass off to make things happen.
The thing I love about it is that it takes the choice out of me or a friend’s hand and puts it into a system which we cannot stop ourselves. Because we’re really our own worst enemies when it comes to this.
Thanks for the post Jon. I am going to type my email now.
(PS. That was a really long wait, but totally worth it. Your writing never disappoints)
Mar 23, 2017 @ 4:04 pm
Love that you are taking action, Blake. Let me know how things go with that email. 🙂
Mar 23, 2017 @ 2:20 pm
The thing about sacrifices is that they’re not really sacrifices… they’re usually the excuses, rationale, distractions, and justifications we use for staying mired in mediocrity.
Sure, they often bring short-term pleasure, but cheat us of the long-term happiness we truly desire.
So really, how much of a sacrifice is it to give up TV time when indulging in it makes us feel guilty and shameful for not working on our dreams instead?
Great food for thought Jon, much appreciated!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 4:09 pm
For small goals, that’s true. You can give up relatively insignificant things like TV time and achieve them. And I think that’s a totally reasonable way of using the method in this post.
For bigger goals though, there is often a higher price. For instance, the cost of being a successful entrepreneur is losing a lot of sleep and having extremely high stress, which can certainly affect your health. It can also mean damaging your relationships with family and friends. All those things are significant sacrifices, and the decision to make them must be weighed carefully.
Mar 28, 2017 @ 5:10 pm
As that dude said.
————————
If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery and isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.
– Charles Bukowski
Mar 23, 2017 @ 2:36 pm
For a guy who can’t move, you sure kick butt HARD! Thanks for a very motivating (not simply motivational) post.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 4:09 pm
Thanks Brenda. 🙂
Mar 23, 2017 @ 2:57 pm
What an awesome blast of reality. You are The Man.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 3:34 pm
Wow, just today I was thinking about things that were holding me back. One was: ‘I have become content to sit in comfort, and don’t currently have any real threats to this comfort.’ Then a friend sends me here, and I read about the gun to your head. Wow. Just Wow.
I will have to read this again tonight, process it, and act on it. I need that figurative gun to my head.
Thanks a million Jon!
– The Tepid Tamale
Mar 23, 2017 @ 3:49 pm
Wow, Jon!
I discovered you writings a year ago and now wonder who was a banch mark for my writing? Who was the stander by which I measured my own writing. The answer, unsurprisingly, nobody.
You’ve raised the bar on inspirational writing.
I’m grateful for sharing your struggles, victory, pain and success. Thanks for embracing you’re life and rocking it! You don’t have worry about dying and being forgotten. You works will be remembered.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 4:10 pm
Warms my heart, Francis. Thank you.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 9:46 pm
You. Da. Man.
Thank you for another inspiring post!
Let’s all keep fighting the good fight against mediocrity. There’s too much of it in this world, that’s for sure…
Mar 23, 2017 @ 4:09 pm
I am in complete awe of your success and what it took to get there. What a curve ball life threw at you. I love how you broke down the steps to possible success and that you talk about pros and cons e.g. how you deconstructed your reading and what you were looking for. I don’t think I’ve read a post/book like this.
The TV thing — yes! I find it almost addicting, as if it’s physically difficult to get up and walk away. Maybe there is something to that (the way the creative people design the shows?), and I don’t even watch all that much. Still, an hour or two a day detracts from my goals. I’ve started multitasking while I “watch” so I can get things done. I would love to hear other reader’s tips on how to be more efficient with time.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 8:58 am
I am a tv addict as well! I binge on weekends on my recorded programs but it never makes me feel good afterwards especially as I end up sleeping late and wake up tired the next day so it is a vicious cycle! Must break the habit with the ‘gun’ to my head!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 4:20 pm
Wow, this was the biggest punch to the gut I’ve ever felt! You really laid it on the line. A powerful post buddy!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 4:35 pm
Yes, Wow Jon!
For all you, your story and writing mean to me. I want to express my appreciation to your Mother. She loves you, probably more than life itself. I so appreciate how she helped you drive to Mexico, tends, or tended to your needs, loves and cares for you as only a Mother can.
Thank you Ms. Morrow from the bottom of my heart for nurturing and caring for this amazing son of yours.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 5:08 pm
Finally your post has arrived! I have been waiting for it since your first one. Can’t wait for more to come.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 5:24 pm
Exactly what I needed to read today. I’ve been making excuses for not taking action, but today I am putting a gun to my head before life itself does. Thank you for your article!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 6:49 pm
Jon, what a story and what a story-teller…
Loved your article and couldn’t resist to share my view that if there is one person on the internet which I don’t want to miss reading, that is you.
Simply beautiful writing.
Sorry for being over-complimentary.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 8:05 pm
Quit TV and movies three months ago and my life is totally different now. In that time I wrote 3 books and more than 300 pages. Your advice is golden, and the only thing I ask of you is to please keep us posted more often, we need you around here to keep going when it gets tough 😉
Mar 23, 2017 @ 8:19 pm
I love you Jon!
Mar 23, 2017 @ 8:46 pm
Jon, your previous post on Unstoppable made me resolve to change the rules and burn all my ships in 2017.
This story has showed me why I haven’t been able to do them yet – guns are lying around, but I haven’t handed them over to someone. I’m more afraid of failure than indifference. I know… I’ve got the order messed up, but I read (and reread) your posts to remind myself about the authentic way to lead a fulfilling life.
Thank you Jon. You’re my Tyler Durden.
P.S. If you ever decide to visit India, I’d love to show you around.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 10:07 pm
I am from Haiti and I had to recreate my own reality to survive, then thrive.
Dreaming big without becoming an heretic and coming back to the real world to make a few small steps in the direction of my dreams. I’ve never found a more powerful way to get yourself out of a shitty situation than by recreating your reality.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us, John.
Glad the post is finally here. been checking for a looong time 🙂
Bye, gotta run to put the Gun in my head.. Time to shake things up
Mar 23, 2017 @ 10:32 pm
We all have a story about where we’ve come from, how we got here, where we are going. You reminded me that I get to determine just how that story reads.
Thank you.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 11:43 pm
Jon, Your post(s) are ridiculously spot-on! You always manage to uplift my spirits and remind me that living large is possible for ALL of us. Thanks for that.
I’ve written to you before, I have a voice disorder which makes speech difficult without botox injections in my vocal chords 4 x a year. (And the injections don’t always work, which creates major stress!)
At the end of last year, I decided to bust out of my fear around not being able to live out my dreams, one which was teaching English abroad. I moved to China 2 weeks ago and am teaching at a language school. My voice is not perfect, and I was, just this morning, freaking out about it a bit, “what if they fire me, what if the kids don’t like my voice, what if, what if, what if…?”
But, thanks to your brilliant post, I am reminded again that I can take away the ‘what ifs’.
Instead…
…I’ll simply choose to reconstruct reality. (Which btw, is precisely how I landed here to begin with!)
God Bless,
Sandy
Mar 23, 2017 @ 11:48 pm
Ohh. For me, this is the second best motivational post after- fight for your ideas. You have been always a great inspiration for me and will be. Thank you very much, Jon, for motivating us again.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 11:51 pm
I love this. This couldn’t have been so timely…. Thanks for the inspiration. Am going to put all these in action. Sharing it to inspire someone else….
Mar 24, 2017 @ 12:50 am
Hey Jon,
This one is amazing. You won’t since I read your first post at Unstoppable, I was waiting for the next. I just finished reading and I would say it was worth waiting.
You are inspiration, I always give your example if someone ask me what should he do? Nothing is going good with him.
You have cleared my doubts I wanted to quit somethings but always scared how will it go. But now I am ready to quit those things.
May God give and strength and health.
Thanks,
Umesh Singh
Mar 24, 2017 @ 1:25 am
Great Jon. Thanks a lot for your inspiration. It will help me to be a better person, not only to make a vision but also to take a realistic action.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 1:43 am
Thanks Jon, very timely for me as well. I feel a big shift internally this week and am stepping into my vision without all the BS excuses. … at long last. Love the part about being small and going from there. This is what dawned on me. It’s a one step at a time deal! But you gotta keep taking the steps.
This post was definitely worth the wait..
Thanks and keep ’em coming
Linda
Mar 24, 2017 @ 3:22 am
Hi Jon,
You said, “For instance, the cost of being a successful entrepreneur is losing a lot of sleep and having extremely high stress, which can certainly affect your health.”
When I last had a “real job,” I developed conversion disorder, which is when your brain decides there’s too much stress going on and creates symptoms in your body that have no actual physical cause.
I wound up spending a week in the hospital with left-side weakness and severe aphasia – I couldn’t find the words I wanted to use. Scary as hell when you can’t find your own name. They thought I’d had a stroke.
Compared to that kind of stress, getting my freelance writing business off the ground has been child’s play, and I couldn’t be having more fun doing it.
Nowadays, I have what my docs are calling “unexplained weakness,” but I refer to as what the fuck-itis. Been in a wheelchair for a year and a half now, and nobody knows why.
Your first post here was the inspiration. This is the road map. Thank you for both.
Mar 31, 2017 @ 4:05 pm
I love your punchy ‘what-the-fuck-itis’! (The words, not the fact that you have the mystery illness.) Still giggling… Hope you get well soon! 🙂
Mar 24, 2017 @ 9:19 am
Just the other day I was wondering why I hadn’t gotten a post from you at Unstoppable recently . . . and look! Here you are sharing your wonderful wisdom which came into my inbox at a very significant time in my life.
Years ago when I was a child, I was horribly and painfully shy. Then I was thrust into 7th grade at a middle school that held all the 7th graders in town. There I encountered bullies the likes of which made the ones that I had to deal with in grade school look and sound like mewling babies.
The situation was so painful I had two choices. Put my shyness aside and learn to deal with the bullies, or live in a miserable emotional hole for the rest of my life.
These days people don’t believe I was ever shy.
Tomorrow they won’t believe that I ever had a difficult time giving myself permission to do what’s best for me.
That’s because two days ago I realized that it was more painful working for other people as a freelance writer than it was risking failure as an online marketer.
Then I got your email where you said exactly what I needed to hear.
Thank you Jon!
Mar 24, 2017 @ 9:28 am
GREAT post, Jon. Thank you!
I especially love this: “You can’t think your way out of a crappy life. The only way out is to construct a world where incredible things aren’t impossible; they are expected, even commonplace. Then you must live in that world, spending more time there than you do in the current one.”
Thanks for being the sort of person who has the discipline + courage + passion to live the kind of life that inspires us all. Thanks for sharing your lessons with us.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 9:36 am
If you had not taken all those hard steps we would not have this inspiration to work out our own steps.
But “Inspiration” seems like a small word to cover the concepts covered here.
I know there are desperate and awful situations in the world. And there are those living in great wealth doing nothing to help. You were probably aware of such people even while you were struggling and being offered the nursing home option. I think it’s the same everywhere.
In contrast–you and your mom sound like amazing people. A glowing light. Announcing that people do not have to simply accept the hand they’ve been dealt and call it “reality”
May our thanks and support buoy you up as you continue to work with health challenges a person should never have to endure.
Prayers for healing.
Have shared on my FB page this morning.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 10:56 am
So many lessons at each paragraph.
Raw. Inspiring. Helpful.
Thank you!
Mar 24, 2017 @ 11:10 am
Awesome! In the middle of reading, to my surprise, I cried uncontrollably. Recovering from cancer after battling 18 months and beating the demons, I feel like damaged goods. Thank you, Jon, for being the inspiration I needed. You put many of us to shame.
You are right about TV, Jon. When I got rid of mine end of 2010, later, there were 5 people who tried to give to me one of their TVs. They thought I was depriving myself. Ha! I responded with a NO THANK YOU, I’m reading instead, and I’m a much better person for it.
That said, if I may say to Oceana, you are fooling yourself and to anyone else who thinks they can multitask while watching TV. To be effective, you’ve got to get into “the zone” requiring 110% FOCUS without distraction.
Further, we’re forever hearing about the need to improve our physical diet, what about our mental diet? That’s where it all begins as you so beautifully illustrated Jon. Thank you! Guard those orifices! What your eyes and ears allow in affects your world immensely!! May we love ourselves enough to always remain mindful of keeping our mental diet in alignment with daily goals that will take us to our dreams.
Your words about feeling small especially resonated with me, Jon. Your words were mind altering for me. Words cannot express my gratitude.
I look forward to your list of recommended reading. Meanwhile, here’s one of my favorites: “Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success” by John C. Maxwell.
Love you, Jon. You d’ man! You’re the best!!!!
Mar 25, 2017 @ 1:31 pm
Hi Brenda, what I’m talking about is getting some necessary tasks done while multitasking e.g. filing while the news is on, or listening to a personal growth tape while doing dishes, etc. I agree with you that one’s passion and priority needs clear focus.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 11:25 am
Thank you forever, Jon.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 11:48 am
Hello Jon , your articles are very true and motivating . I love to read them . Your earlier post was very touching and it sends a very right note to me whenever I feel depressed or demotivated . I have shared it with friends and they liked it very much .
Thank you very much for your hard work , love and support which you spreading across the world. Sending lots of love and health.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 11:56 am
Right when I was losing hope and motivation to achieve my goals, this came my way. Thank you so much, now I have enough courage and motivation to acheive my dreams with positivity. Thank you so very much! ☺
Mar 24, 2017 @ 12:15 pm
Hi Jon –
like other followers have said you are an amazing and perceptive talent. Just when I’m feeling sorry for myself and ready to throw in the towel, your post has given me the strength to dig in my heels and keep on pushing. Thanks for all you do to show others the way.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 12:16 pm
Dear Jon,
Thank you. Am at tha point in my life where I need to urgently put that gun to my head… To move to the next level.
Thank you for clearly showing me what l need to do, to realize my dreams.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 12:18 pm
Thank you Jon, for breaking down exactly all l need to do.
Thank you, the gun is now at my head…
Mar 24, 2017 @ 12:30 pm
Thank you for this post, Unstoppable Jon Morrow! I’m sharing it with my coaching clients and social media followers. I just told one of my clients this week that the reason he isn’t achieving his employment goal is that he isn’t in enough pain to REALLY get serious about making a living. How could he be in enough pain – when he lives with a relative and doesn’t have to pay a dime toward rent or contribute in any other way to the household? But you said it much better than me – you laid out the whole formula. I hope my client reads your post! Thank you for being an Unstoppable role model!
Mar 24, 2017 @ 4:53 pm
Right you are, Camille. As long as we’re tolerant of our situation and behavior, we’ll never change. We’ve got to be TOTALLY INTOLERANT of our present situation before change will begin.
Better still, if our world becomes too painful, as it was for me when battling cancer, change is promising. Pain is the catalyst for change!
Mar 24, 2017 @ 12:44 pm
Jon,
This came at an opportune time. I made the decision 6 months ago to leave my full-time job to pursue my dream. I shared it with only 4 persons who are quite supportive.
I shared last night with one of those persons my year end goals for 2017 – though not discouraging I realized that I need to surround myself with others who are willing to dream BIG with me and help me push for those dreams.
It’s scary as hell to take this step, but I am determined to do it.
I’ve already reconstructed my new reality and I’ve counted the price. As I think about it, I already have a “gun” to my head. And your inspiration: wow.
Thanks Jon. Thank you.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 1:15 pm
Interesting, and a lot to think about. I moved my family across the country almost six years ago to find something. I think we are almost there… it’s a joint effort. My husband and family are in it together, so that’s nice. We have regularly had the job loss gun to our heads and every time have come out higher and higher on top. We gave up TV ten years ago (though we do get the occasional classic from the library). Our kids read and play and learn, people think we’re a bit strange but we don’t care. We refuse to give in to despair and are creating our own world, in one of the poorest counties in the state. Onward and upward.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 1:37 pm
Embracing the smallness. God bless you Jon
Mar 24, 2017 @ 4:25 pm
I wondered how you got past the “If I earn too much I will lose my health care” problem! Thank you for telling me!
Mar 24, 2017 @ 5:15 pm
Excellent as always Jon! you’re always there for me when I get tired, thank you thank you
Mar 24, 2017 @ 7:19 pm
Life happens! A lot of people just whine and cry! Not Jon Morrow! You used difficult situations as a springboard to dive into deep water to survive. It was literally sink or swim! This post was a great reminder that you CAN make Lemonade out of Lemons, but you have to be willing (and prepared) to start at the beginning: acquire crop land, fertilize and condition the soil, till the soil, plant the seeds, nurture the trees that grow the lemons, fight freezes and blight, guard the fruit from aphids, leaf miners, and wasps, then FINALLY: pick the fruit–lots and lots of fruit– squeeze the lemons, package the juice, sell it, AND START OVER! Since being in one of your first mastermind groups, I’ve enjoyed the process of narrowing my focus. Good luck to all on this journey! Stay tuned!
Mar 24, 2017 @ 8:21 pm
I am not exactly sure how I got on your mailing list, but I’m thankful that I did…and thankful that I opened it! You are a true inspiration. I can’t wait to hear more from you!
Mar 25, 2017 @ 12:07 am
This is really an eye opener for me, Now I realize how complacent I am in building my online business. The comfort of having a steady paycheck, makes me procrastinate. I will heed your advice ,and tell my boss that I will be staying only till June 2019 and then I’m done working with somebody else. Thanks for this.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 1:19 am
Jon, this is so inspiring. I’ve neglected a lot of small steps in my journey of becoming successful. Looking forward to read more from you.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 2:35 am
Absolutely love this, Jon. Thanks so much for this post.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 3:43 am
Hello Mr. Jon,
I’m Vandini Sharma, a 15 year old author from India and I’ve had a few accomplishments like winnings fiction competitions, getting published in magazines, and I have a struggling blog. I want you to know that I am very grateful for what people like you give me for free, the advice it would take decades to learn.
This particular post is great. I think you have great metaphor use writer wise, and the ones you pick really stick in the head and catapult us immediately to precise impression you’re trying to give. Your pace and economy of words teaches me to go slower with sentence structure, faster with ideas. And mostly, best of all, you have a voice. A continuous flow of thread, and something which evokes emotions.
You’re awesome, Sir. I’ve forced myself for 2 years and I still can’t properly think on a laptop. I need paper to write fiction. You wrote this whole thing just with your voice. That blows my mind.
I hope you do really well Sir.
I’ve already changed my vision, & decided to pay the price, but I think the gun to the head thing will probably lead me into crashing my studies. I will work continuously instead, and make progress everyday. Consistency, not perfection, and definitely better than procrastination.
I have a question, if you could take a minute to respond please. I am into inspirational writing as well, and I feel I have a lot of epiphanies (something like your Unstoppable blog) to share with the world. I think I could help teenagers especially, realise a lot which has made my life freer and happier. I want to use the superpower of fiction I have with it. Could you recommend anything for this situation?
Thank you.
Stay Awesome.
Vandini Sharma
Mar 25, 2017 @ 2:30 pm
Hi Vandini,
I’m not an expert on fiction, but have you looked into publishing Kindle books? You can write a book and then publish it on Amazon.
Here are some good podcasts to listen to:
https://sterlingandstone.net/podcasts/
Mar 25, 2017 @ 6:44 am
Oh man, you are inspiration to me. I just found your blog and subscribed but your posts are something else–real blood flows through their veins. Thanks brother! BTW I am already listing the things that need to be sacrificed.
Thanks again.
Mategyero
Mar 25, 2017 @ 8:05 am
Jon! I want to meet you one day!! I have cried reading your work, have been inspired, and have taken action with results after listening to you. Thanks for this post and for now I’ll work my butt off to accomplish my big dreams and goals! Thank you for being so brave and never giving up.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 9:20 am
Jon, thank you again. As always you nailed it. Your posts are always an inspiration to anyone who reads them. Been on this journey it seems my whole life, haven’t made it yet, but haven’t stopped either. Appreciate your story, makes mine small.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 10:05 am
Wow! Hey Jon!
It’s amazing how this post resonates with my current situation.
I’m in a point where I feel like I need more self-discipline, more experience, more knowledge, more energy to make my business work!
Thank you for being an inspiration Jon!
Mar 25, 2017 @ 12:08 pm
I planned 2 suicide today bc I feel that Im in the rock bottom. But I saw my friend share this post on Twitter. I read it and almost cry, telling myself how lucky I am.
thank you. thank you. thank you 🙂
Mar 25, 2017 @ 2:22 pm
You are most welcome. So happy you are still with us! Life can always get better, my friend.
Mar 25, 2017 @ 1:34 pm
LOVE this article! Thanks Jon. I’m just shaking my head at the hell that you went through. Man.
If anyone needs to “put a gun to their head”, try https://gofuckingdoit.com/. It’s hilarious and really works!
Mar 26, 2017 @ 1:32 am
Inspiring
Mar 26, 2017 @ 2:07 am
Another wonderful piece, Jon.
You have a great way of telling stories that hit close to the heart.
You truly are an inspiration to me, with the odds that you’ve had to overcome to achieve your success. Your writing is also something I hope to achieve; till then I’ll keep writing.
Thanks for this.
Mar 26, 2017 @ 3:22 am
Ha! My new mentor. I so admire and respect your courage Jon. I have just started building my web site/blog over at WordPress.com. I chose them to start so that I could learn WordPress and the price is right.
I am fortunate in the sense that I am older so have a lot of life experiences to share. I have always been inquisitive, sometimes annoyingly so, I’m sure. The result of my experiences and inquisitivity is that I have a notebooks full of ideas and am never at a loss for something to write about.
Feeling small? Yes, been there, down that. Sacrifice? That too. I’m doing what I do because I want to do it and because I love to do it. It has become my passion. I am grateful for what I have even though it is not much by most peoples standards.
As mentioned in some of the above replies I think the same……… “you rock!” Your writing is wonderful (I’m a little envious) That attitude of yours makes me glad to be alive. Thanks for making my day.
Mar 26, 2017 @ 8:17 am
You are the best, there are no excuses. To work!!!!!!!!!
Mar 26, 2017 @ 9:11 am
Hi Jon,
This is so inspiring that I can’t even begin to say. Kudos!
I’d like to know if email list building is still the way forward to go in 2017, when personal data is being sold fine a dozen?
What’s the best way to monetize blogging efforts – not affiliate marketing, of course?
Mar 26, 2017 @ 11:21 am
Hi Jon. Thanks for the tips. I like that ” Gun To My Head” advice the most and find it useful when choosing whether I should eat something that is not good for me. I think is it worth to become dead for eating that?
As a blogger myself I want to ask you, Jon, is there a copyright issue when using a screenshot from a movie like you did on this post? i have been thinking of using movie screenshots on my posts but thought it would not be a safe practice unless I am reviewing the movie while producing promotional value for the movie.
Thanks. I hope to read your reply soon.
Mar 26, 2017 @ 9:14 pm
I have so much I can learn from your writing. Wow!
Mar 27, 2017 @ 8:00 am
Thanks Jon, you just got me thinking about my life. I must discipline myself. Certainly, the gun is on my head already!
Mar 27, 2017 @ 8:30 am
Thanks for that. I needed a kick in the ass.
Mar 27, 2017 @ 6:53 pm
Fabulous piece of inspiration! It makes me think, shake my head, think again of so many things… Jon, I highly admire you for what you have done. And many of these words you wrote will be guiding me for life. I love your writing style, too! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Mar 28, 2017 @ 4:00 am
A must share post. The most serious thing I am struggling right now is the execution of my entrepreneur plans. I have got the answer in your post and that is “putting the gun on the head”. Thanks Jon for this brilliant post.
Mar 28, 2017 @ 4:52 am
Jon,
Thank you for this incredible reminder turned into wake-up call.
I’ve got so much work to do on a personal level, it’s not even funny. But isn’t there always something to work on, after all? Accepting my smallness is just one of those things. Your words on this particular day struck a chord on so many levels.
Thank you for sharing your story, for creating this, and for every other piece of yours that I’ve read and have been inspired by.
Mar 28, 2017 @ 7:55 am
I love this post, Jon.
I’ve read it a couple of times now and this time it’s really sunk in.
I’ve been going through my entire 20’s believing that I can achieve my goals with what I have without making any sacrifices – this is where I’ve been misleading myself.
I’m nearly 30 so it’s time to pay the price!
Cheers.
Mar 28, 2017 @ 4:40 pm
Excellent post, Jon!
Jon. What’s about if I have a few goals? Have I to put a few guns to my head same time?
Mar 28, 2017 @ 5:18 pm
Thank you – succinct, to the point and brutal.
No, to step 1. My world has a recreation point looming, I need to recreate my perception by then and be into step 2 or maybe at step 3 when it arrives.
I have to say this little blog says more in a few hundred words than many books I have read.
Mar 29, 2017 @ 12:27 pm
Jon what amazing insight. Thanks so much for this powerful article! Will have to share so others can be just as encouraged as I was.
Mar 29, 2017 @ 1:09 pm
“I told you this wasn’t going to be easy.”
After ‘whining’ about University being hard to my grandmother (whose life didn’t include fulfilling her U dreams) she calmly replied, “You didn’t expect it to be easy did you?”
Hmm… a sign perhaps?
Not a day goes by pursuing the dream of becoming an entrepreneur with influence where I don’t get some kind of advice. Do more-learn more-help more -take in more…
But, care more isn’t mentioned.
That’s what you do, say and inspire, Jon. It’s probably what you believe. Why you’ve sacrificed and accomplished so much… to be fulfilled.
“Care more” -if I believe it too… I’ll be fulfilled.
I’ll pay it forward to others who appreciate (not expect) when I care more.
Endless gratitude,
~Keri
Mar 30, 2017 @ 9:21 am
Thank you Jon, amazing read. All the best and keep them coming. You are truly inspirational.
Apr 4, 2017 @ 4:11 am
Woah! I’m totally speechless at the valuable lessons you put out… THANKS A BUNCH JON!
Apr 5, 2017 @ 5:33 pm
Beautifully said!
When I tell someone that the only reason why they are where they are is that they WANT to be there, it stings. But it’s the truth!
And, you Jon, said it so well: If you are still where you are that is because the pain of staying there / the same isn’t big enough.
Which means – since everybody has a choice to change or stay where they are at – that they have chosen (they wanted) to stay there.
Thank you once again for a great reminder of how life works!
Apr 12, 2017 @ 7:59 pm
John, I can walk and run and do many other things, but still, when reading your story, I got really jealous/envious of the success you have achieved in your life!
Apr 12, 2017 @ 8:15 pm
John, what you are reflecting upon in this post is very upseting, bitter, but still, a reality that we live in and that we should be looking at streight!
Apr 16, 2017 @ 7:32 am
Adversity can stop in a second, at the beginning of 2016 I was struggling to make a living, and everybody around me at work. But there was a difference between them and I, my co-workers were complaining but I decided to reject and block every negative comment coming from them about the situation. Every time I hear them complain, I would tell them “Stop Complaining.” Inside I was scared, and let me tell you, I thought that I was gonna get fired. In more than two occasions I told my boss, “If my Co-workers think that they are having a hard time making a decent living, then I encourage them to look around them outside work and see for themselves that other people are in a much worst situation than theirs.” One time during a meeting some of them started to complaint again, let me tell you this, I was just tired of listening complaining, so I made the move, I told them in front of my boss. “I don’t know about your day, but mine starts at 5:00 am, every day to get my kids ready to go to school and still manage to be here at 7:30 am. Stop complaining and take charge, make things happen, you come in at 8:00 am every day and never make an effort to come in a little earlier or stay a little after 5:30 pm. But you still complaint about your hours, my Boss looked at me, like I can’t believe you said all that. Again I thought that I was gonna get fired. But, I took the chance, after that, I never hear them complaint again. The thing in all of this is a they were bringing me down with them, that’s why I did what I did.
Apr 18, 2017 @ 12:50 am
Hi Jon,
Thanks for such a great article. You are right on the money and you inspire me.
I lost the ability to walk 16 months ago and it has me largely housebound except for when I can convince a family member to carry my wheelchair out the front door. It has been a scary and stressful time. But it has also been a time where I’ve had to sink or swim- so I keep swimming.
Adoption/ caring for young people with cognitive disabilities is my passion, and so during this time we added a new son to our family. This was a dream come true for me, but it also is working really well for our new son, who is a young adult but needs care like a younger child. He now has a family around him who loves him and provides the level of care he needs, and I can use my brain to access needed resources and set up professionals that come into our home to help both him and me.
However, reading your articles inspires me to keep trying to do more. To realize that my disabilities are not the defining uncharacteristic of my life. And that I have a lot more abilities than disabilities, which I can use to impact the world in a positive way.
You also help me to focus on the skills my son does have, and to see him not as a person with a cognitive disability so much as a person, with dreams and hopes and great potential just as all people do.
I find myself scared a lot of the time since losing the ability to walk. But you have inspired me to realize that I can use this fear as the “gun to the head” to keep trying, keeping finding creative solutions, and keep building a happy and joyous life, for not only myself but also my family.
Thanks so much and best wishes!
Apr 18, 2017 @ 12:14 pm
John, in both of your articles I saw not only your courage, but also a courage of your mother and her belief in you, I mean, strong belief and that too makes a huge difference. The fact that she agreed to move you to Mexico despite all odds were against you. I think she is great, because she didn’t tell you that she can’t do that, that she is not going to endanger herself and you, that she didn’t say she’d rather put you in a nursing home! She is great, because she didn’t start telling you all about the advantages of the nursing home and of all the dangers you’d face in Mexico. The right mindset of parents and caregivers is essential in these kinds of situuations!
Apr 21, 2017 @ 6:12 am
John one thing i need to ask. How can i take immediate decision, when i have to pay the bills and take care off my family. How can i get out of my day job and live with the business which i want to start. I have spent 14 years in job and now how can i move to a business?
What is the Gun in this case for me?