It’s not a joke.
The only parts of my body I can move are my eyes and lips. My hands, feet, arms, and legs, are almost totally paralyzed, managing the occasional twitch and nothing more.
And yet… I have an amazing life.
Using speech recognition technology, I’ve written articles read by more than 5 million people. I’ve also built several online magazines that have, shockingly, made me a millionaire.
“This can’t be real,” you say. “You did all this, and you can’t freaking move?”
Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true. I do it all from home, sitting in my wheelchair, speaking into a microphone.
I’ve traveled a good bit too. I’ve lived in San Diego, Miami, Austin, and even Mazatlan, Mexico. Here’s a photo of me living the good life south of the border:
I look totally miserable, don’t I? Poor baby. 🙂
Not to imply it’s been easy, mind you. During my 34 years, I’ve had pneumonia 16 times, recovered from more than 50 broken bones, and spent literally years of my life in hospitals and doctor’s offices.
But I’m still here. Not only have I survived my condition, but I’ve built a life most people only dream about.
And starting today, I want to talk about how.
Over the coming months and years, I have a great deal to share with you, but I thought we would begin with the biggest lessons I’ve learned, lessons I’ve paid for in blood and tears, lessons that have saved my life, over and over and over again. Let’s begin.
Sidenote: Once you’re done reading these, be sure to check out 33 Books That Helped Me Become a Millionaire from My Wheelchair. Lots of great wisdom there.
Lesson #1: If You Can’t Win the Game, Change the Rules
About a decade ago, I was totally dependent on Medicaid, the U.S. government-run health insurance, to pay about $120,000 per year in medical bills. On the one hand, I was immensely grateful, because without it, I would’ve certainly died, but I was also trapped by their benevolence.
You see, Medicaid has income limits. If I made more than $700 per month, I would lose all medical coverage. Doctors, caregivers, medications, everything.
It was basically an ironclad contract preventing me from ever getting a regular job. I had a college degree, plenty of ambition, and even a few job offers, but I couldn’t accept any of them, because the government wouldn’t let me.
It seemed like a hopeless situation. If I got a job, I would lose my health insurance. If I didn’t get a job, I’d be forced to live in poverty forever. There was no way to win the game.
So, I changed the rules.
One of the job offers I received was from a small online magazine named Copyblogger, but instead of accepting it, here’s what I told them: “I’ll work for you for free. Don’t pay me anything. The only catch is, sometime in the future, I’m going to ask you for some favors, and if I do good work for you, I’d really appreciate your help.” They agreed, so I spent the next two years working 40-80 hours per week, mostly free of charge, although they did find ways to throw a few dollars my way every now and again.
During that time, I explored moving to Mexico. By moving there, I could reduce my health expenses from $120,000 to $18,000 per year. $102,000 in savings!
Eventually, I pulled the trigger. I called my boss and said, “Remember how I said I would ask for favors one day? Well, it’s time. I’m starting a consulting practice, and I’d love some help getting clients.” The next day, he allowed me to reach out to about 50,000 readers, and I filled my entire client roster within 24 hours.
Then I moved to Mexico, abandoning the U.S. healthcare system entirely. Within 30 days, I was making more than $10,000 a month, living in a beachfront condo, and paying for all my own health care expenses.
How?
By not playing the government’s game. Instead, I created a different game, a game that worked by my rules, a game I could win.
“But Jon,” you say. “You don’t understand. My situation is hopeless.”
Bullshit. The options available to you right now may be hopeless, but you can always create new ones. It’s not easy, but if you’re strong enough, you can turn any situation to your advantage. The key is to develop that strength in advance. Here’s how:
Lesson #2: Pain is Power
At some point or another, life punches everyone in the face.
The punch may be hard, or it may be soft, but it’s definitely coming, and your success or failure is largely determined by the answer to a single question: how well can you take the punch?
Do you roll around on the ground, weeping and moaning? Do you rock back on your heels but then keep going? Or have you been punched so many times already you don’t even notice?
Personally, I’m a living example of the last one. If you want to know what it’s like to live with a severe disability, just imagine that every morning six big guys sneak into your room and beat the hell out of you. Most days, the beating isn’t so bad, and you can limp through your day. Every now and again though, they keep punching and kicking you until you’re bleeding and broken, lose consciousness, and wake up in the hospital breathing through a tube.
That’s the best way I know to describe my life. Since the day I was born, muscular dystrophy has given me a daily beating.
The upside?
It’s made me incredibly strong. I can take any punch life throws at me without even breaking stride.
Lost $100,000 on a business deal? No biggie. Key employee quits? Yawn. Getting audited by the IRS? Wake me up when something important happens. Next to fusing my spinal vertebrae together, shattering my legs, or nearly drowning in my own mucus, none of it is honestly that big of a deal.
This, my friends, is the advantage of pain. The more you experience, the more you can handle in the future, and the less it knocks you off your game.
The way you respond to that pain is another matter, which we’ll talk about in a moment. For now, the point I want to make is this: if you feel depressed and weak, unable to cope with the difficulties of life, it’s not because you are a flawed human being. It’s because you were unprepared for the pain you are experiencing. The problem, ironically, is that you haven’t suffered enough.
The opposite is also true. If you want to become a stronger and more capable person, the smartest thing you can do is systematically (and safely) increase your pain tolerance.
For example, Tim Ferriss recommends lying down in the middle of a crowded public place like a supermarket or a coffee shop. You’ll feel like a fool, but the experience will condition you to deal with embarrassment and discomfort in the future.
The bottom line?
The degree of success you achieve in life is directly proportional to the amount of pain you can tolerate. If you ever want to accomplish big things like building a successful business, becoming the best in your field, or changing the world in some way, you need to start training yourself to endure the pain all those things require. It’ll also prepare you for the next time life punches you in the face, which is inevitable.
The only caveat is you have to keep the right mindset. If you respond to pain the wrong way, it makes you weaker, not stronger. Let’s talk about how to make sure that doesn’t happen…
Lesson #3: The Secret to Survival
In 2006, a teenager who we’ll call Bill was late to work at Wendy’s. Worried that his boss was going to fire him, he decided to floor it, driving through the city at 85 miles per hour, weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights, and squealing around corners. At first, everything went fine, but then something happened…
He plowed into my minivan going through an intersection. He was going so fast that it nearly ripped the entire front end of the van off, spinning me like a top in the street. My head went through the window, knocking me out, and when I woke up, I was stuffed underneath the dashboard, my 300 pound wheelchair lying on top of me, blood squirting out of my head, my legs shattered from my toes to my hips.
I spent the next month in the hospital. The bill was about $130,000, and not surprisingly, I discovered good ol’ Bill had crappy insurance, paying out a maximum of $20,000 for the accident. To top it off, doctors predicted it would take an entire year to recover enough to work or go back to school.
In other words, I was fucked.
As if it wasn’t enough that I was already dealing with Medicaid, poverty, and muscular dystrophy. Life decided to pile on a little extra, just to see how much I could take.
And honestly? It was a miracle I didn’t crack.
How easy would it have been to sink into despair? Or rage against the unfairness? Or maybe even take a little bit too much morphine one day and end it all?
But I didn’t. Mostly, I was able to handle it because I’d been conditioned by all the other difficulties of my life, but it was also because I deliberately shifted my perspective.
The people who struggle most are the ones who can’t accept the incessant unfairness of life. They become so consumed with what should have happened, the way other people should have behaved that they become incapable of dealing with reality.
If I allowed myself to be angry at Bill for even one moment, I may have sunk into a pit of rage and despair so deep I would’ve never climbed out of it. Instead, I forced myself to say, “Okay, this is my life now. What’s next?” After all, I couldn’t change what happened. The only thing I had control over was how I responded to that change, and the first and most critical response was total and complete acceptance.
A lot of people view acceptance as weakness. They think that, if they accept what’s happened to them, they’ll be admitting defeat.
But it’s the opposite. It’s only by acknowledging reality that you can create a plan to change that reality. Acceptance, as it turns out, is the first step to victory.
Following the accident, I hired an attorney who fought the insurance companies, the hospital, everyone. It took months, but he eventually settled my medical bills and gave me enough money to purchase a new car, totally debt-free. Meanwhile, I focused on my rehab, completing it in six months instead of the year doctors predicted, and I resumed my life even healthier than I was before the accident.
The point?
We’ve all heard the cliché about turning lemons into lemonade, but to do that, you can’t be pissed off at the lemons, go into denial about the existence of the lemons, or get depressed because you’re tired of making lemonade. You just have to grab a lemon and squeeze the shit out of the motherfucker.
Or better yet, just discard the lemons-to-lemonade metaphor entirely. Here’s a much better way to think about it:
Lesson #4: The Art of the Counterpunch
Remember how we talked about the importance of being able to take a punch?
Well, it’s only the first step. Once you’ve built some endurance, it’s time to learn how to fight back.
Consider this:
In boxing, every beginner learns the importance of the counterpunch. By attacking you, your opponent has to let his guard down, and it creates a brief but very real opportunity for you to sneak in a blow. You just have to train yourself to spot the opening.
Ironic, isn’t it? The best time to attack your opponent turns out to be right after he attacks you. In fact, the stronger the attack, the bigger the opportunity for a counterpunch.
And it’s true for more than just boxing. In life, every difficulty carries with it a corresponding opportunity of equal size.
For example, let’s go back to the car accident from the last section. I mentioned how I got an attorney to settle the medical bills and dedicated myself to rehab, completing it in half the time, but I didn’t tell you the best part of the story.
In between rehab visits, I had a lot of free time on my hands. A lot of people would’ve flopped down in front of the TV and zoned out, but thankfully, I had the presence of mind to recognize the opportunity. I’d always wanted to write more, but I’d never had the time… until the accident. So, I seized the opportunity and got my gimpy ass to work.
At first, it was only a journal, a way of jotting down my thoughts and emotions as a way to cope with the trauma. I enjoyed it so much I decided to start a blog, and within 60 days, it got nominated as one of the best blogs in the world. Following the nomination, I got an offer to help run an up-and-coming magazine, the one that eventually helped me launch my consulting practice when I got to Mexico, allowing me to live the life of my dreams.
Was it luck? A mere twist of fate that turned tragedy into triumph?
Not at all. It was a deliberate counterpunch, a way of taking the force of the blow life had dealt me and turning it to my advantage.
It’s just one of many throughout my life. Here are some more:
Punch: None of the cool kids in school want to be friends with me, because the wheelchair makes them uncomfortable. I become an outcast.
Counterpunch: I hang out with the other outcasts: nerds. They teach me how to code, and I’m writing my own software by the age of 12.
Punch: I can’t play sports, go swimming, or any of the other fun stuff kids do. I’m stuck inside, trapped in a body that can’t move.
Counterpunch: To keep from going crazy, I read half a dozen books a week. By the time I graduate high school, I’ve read more than most of my teachers.
Punch: I get accepted into MIT, but I’m dirt poor. For a year, I beg for help, but everyone ignores me. I have to turn down the offer.
Counterpunch: I apply to my somewhat crappy local university, and they offer me a full scholarship. I graduate debt-free.
Again, it looks like luck, but it’s not. The people we call “lucky” are ruled by the same fickle hand of fate as everyone else. The difference: when that hand turns against them, they look around, and they spot the opening.
The moral of the story:
The next time life punches you in the face, stop for a moment and ask yourself this simple question:
What’s the counterpunch?
No matter how bad the situation, no matter how hopeless it seems, there is always an opportunity to turn it to your advantage. You just have to discipline yourself to spot the opening, and then find the courage to use it.
Lesson #5: How to Find the Courage to Face Anything
The heart monitor flatlined.
I was lying in a shabby little bed in a nursing home you’ve never heard of. For years, I’d drifted toward death, and blessedly, mercifully, it was finally here. My heart stopped, my limbs quivered, and my bowels let loose, filling the air with a sickly stench. One last breath escaped my lips, and I was gone.
A few minutes later, a nurse walked into the room, wrinkling her nose at the stink. Pulling out her clipboard, she glanced at her watch and wrote down the time of death. Next, she pulled out her phone and called the morgue. “Got another one for you. Room 305,” she told them. With that, she pulled a sheet over my head and left the room. Two days later, they cremated me, and that, as they say, was that.
Pretty depressing, right?
Obviously, none of this ever happened. I wouldn’t be writing right now if it did.
But it could’ve happened. Years ago, if I’d made different decisions, I could’ve easily ended up in a nursing home somewhere. Crazily, it could still happen now. A few missteps, and I could lose everything, dying broken, useless, and alone.
And I’ll be straight up with you:
It scares the hell out of me. More than anything. You could pull out a gun, shove the barrel in my mouth, and start counting, and it wouldn’t even come close to scaring me as much as the scene I described.
Dying is one thing. A pointless death where no one notices or cares is quite another. To me at least.
Here’s why I am telling you this:
Every now and again, somebody asks me how I found the courage to move to Mexico with no money, no friends, and no backup plan. There are a gazillion different ways it could have gone wrong. I could’ve been robbed and murdered by thieves along the highway, scammed by immigration officials, or starved to death because I couldn’t afford food. Let’s face it, Mexico can be a dangerous place, and moving there in my condition was absolute insanity.
I knew this. I’ve never been one of those delusional people who thinks nothing bad will ever happen to them. On the contrary, I was pretty sure I was about to die, and I was scared shitless. When we drove across the border, I was sweating and shaking so much I was worried that immigration guys would think I was on drugs.
So, why did I do it? Why didn’t I turn back to the relative safety of the U.S.?
Well, my thought process went like this:
Worry: I could be scammed by immigration officials.
Response: True, but that’s still better than dying in a nursing home.
Worry: I could be killed by robbers along the highway
Response: True, but that’s still better than dying in a nursing home.
Worry: I could starve to death because I can’t afford food.
Response: True, but that’s still better than dying in a nursing home.
In other words… yes, I was terrified, but a sad, quiet little death in a nursing home terrified me more. I consciously and deliberately harnessed that fear, using it to propel me to do things everyone thought were insane.
And that’s how courage works. The people we think of as heroes don’t have a mystical ability to transcend fear. To them, the alternative to taking action is simply unacceptable. They do what needs to be done, not because they want to, but because they feel there is no other choice.
Same for me. To get myself to take action, I didn’t meditate, clear my mind, and proceed to do the impossible with calmness and confidence. I woke up each morning and pictured what would happen if I didn’t act. I envisioned the heart monitor, the nurse, my body being pushed into the flames. I deliberately put myself into a state of such intense terror that everything I had to do felt manageable by comparison.
It’s dark, I know, but it’s also an immense secret. If you find yourself paralyzed by fear, the only way out is often to find something that scares you more. Imagine what will happen if you do nothing, make it so real in your mind that you’re about to jump out of your skin, and then harness that energy to do the crazy things you need to do.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting you live your life in fear. The moment you’ve faced down the impossible situation, stop torturing yourself. Adopt a positive attitude, and go about your life.
But if you’re just trying to survive?
Fear is fuel. So burn, baby, burn.
Lesson #6: Embrace the Crazy
The world is full of people who will tell you to “be reasonable.” You should have reasonable goals, reasonable expectations, a reasonable attitude.
But listen…
Was it reasonable for me to give up all my government benefits and move to a country not exactly known for its stellar medical care?
Was it reasonable to work 40+ hours a week for a company that didn’t pay me a dime?
Was it reasonable for me to start a business when failure would’ve meant starving to death on the streets of Mexico?
Not in the slightest. It was actually pretty crazy.
Here’s the thing, though:
If you’re in a crazy situation, sometimes the only way out is to make a bold move that appears insane, but it’s not, because the alternative is worse.
For instance, I’ll readily admit that working for a company full-time without asking for a penny in return is a dumb idea most of the time. Compared to the alternative of not working at all though, it’s actually a smart move.
The problem is, we’re not used to thinking that way. We’re so used to evaluating options on their own merits that we become paralyzed in situations where all the options are bad.
The solution is to train yourself to at least acknowledge the crazy alternatives. Whenever you’re making a decision, ask yourself, “What are the options I’m not considering because they seem too crazy?” You don’t have to choose the crazy option, but you should still train yourself to recognize it, because there might come a day when you need it.
Here’s a current example from my life:
I cope with a fair amount of back pain. This surprises some people, because they assume I can’t feel anything from the neck down, but I can. My disease only affects the motor neurons, not the sensory ones, so I’m able to feel just as much as anyone. Most days, the pain is manageable, but sometimes it’s unbearable.
The typical treatment options: narcotics, anti-inflammatories, herbal therapies, surgery, exercise, stretching, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, a new wheelchair seating system, and lots of other reasonable things.
But what are the unreasonable options?
In order of increasing craziness, I could…
- Buy a $5,000 bed that’s like floating on a pocket of air, lie down in it, and never move again, conducting all my business from bed for the rest of my life.
- Destroy all the nerve endings in my back, making it totally numb. Believe it or not, this is an actual medical procedure. It’s called denervation.
- Sever my spine, losing not only sensation but also the ability to breathe without a respirator. Obvious drawbacks, and I’m not sure I could get a doctor to do it, but still better than the last option…
- Suicide
Am I seriously considering any of these options?
Hell no! The pain isn’t nearly bad enough to take such drastic measures.
But it’s also comforting to be prepared for the worst. No matter how bad it gets, I always know I have options. If I’m forced to explore those options, I’ve prepared in advance, so I’m not trying to figure it all out in the moment.
The bottom line?
No matter how impossible the situation seems, you’re never trapped. There are always options.
And that brings us to the final lesson…
Lesson #7: Never, never, never give up
My mother rammed her hands into my ribs, forcing the air from my lungs. I coughed, the mucus rattling deep in my chest.
And then I screamed.
A few weeks earlier, I’d caught pneumonia, a respiratory infection that’s dangerous for a healthy person and a near-death sentence for someone like me. I didn’t have the strength to cough the mucus up myself, so doctors taught my mother to thrust her hands into my ribs, supplying the necessary force.
And it worked, but then something terrible happened:
My ribs cracked. Worse, the bones would grind together and fracture a little more every time my mother helped me cough.
But we couldn’t stop. If we did, doctors were absolutely certain I would suffocate and die.
So, literally hundreds of times per day, my mother would shove on my broken ribs. I screamed, I cried, I begged her to stop. Still a child, I couldn’t understand why she had to hurt me so much. Even today, I marvel that she could bring herself to do it.
But she did. For weeks.
One night, when I was lying in bed, wheezing and whimpering, she brought this little plaque of a quote from Winston Churchill and put it on the table beside me. It sits on my desk now.
“Say the words,” she said.
I shook my head. “It hurts.”
“Whisper them, then,” she said, and so I did. Every night, she would push on my ribs a dozen times before going to bed, and every night, she would make me whisper the words…
Never, never, never give up.
Hokey? Yes, but it worked. I never gave up, not because I was strong or brave or special, but because my mother wouldn’t let me.
And now I want to do the same for you.
Sooner or later, we all reach a point in life where our trials become unbearable. Determination turns to despair, self-confidence becomes self-pity, and our hope for a better tomorrow dwindles and dies, replaced by a grim certainty that our life is over.
But it’s not. We simply need someone to remind us that triumph over adversity isn’t about being the strongest or the smartest, the “perfect” human being who can overcome anything life throws at them. On the contrary, the greatest victories are won by the weakest people, living in the darkest times, facing monsters that make even the stoutest heroes cower and run.
And yet they prevail. Not through riches or genius or even luck, but by setting their jaw, bracing their feet, and weathering the storm. They don’t defeat misfortune; they outlast it, clinging stubbornly to their spot, absorbing blow after blow, roaring their defiance into the wind until their lips crack and their voice breaks, and yet still they find the strength to whisper, “I will never, ever give up.”
You can be one of those people. I know you can, and so I came here to tell you…
Today, you might feel too poor or sick or unlucky to reach for your dreams, but you’re not.
Today, you might feel too tired or depressed or sad to even try, but you’re not.
Today, you might feel like an outcast, forgotten by your friends or family or anyone who might help you, but again, you are not.
You’re still breathing, my friend. That’s all it takes to stage a comeback.
So, say it with me now, would you?
“I will never, ever give up.”
Say it. Believe it.
And then recognize you’ve begun the journey to becoming totally unstoppable.
Mar 4, 2017 @ 4:27 am
You had so many reasons to give up but you chose not to and life gave you back and it’s like a ripple effect. I admire your courage and wisdom and thanks for sharing your storytelling which is a great example for all of us. I am happy you found your happiness and confidence in life.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 9:18 am
Wow, what an amazing blessing to me this was to read! I’m paralyzed at the T 4 level SCI 9 years and am finding a way to avoid depression often. Thanks for your encouraging story and giving me some vision ideas now! I thought Nick Voicachek had a good story, but yours is right up there also!! Jeff
Jul 6, 2017 @ 8:28 am
I have a skin condition that I’ve been battling on and off for 8 years now. It has really changed how my skin looks and feels.
I barely remember how it used to feel to be normal. I hate how I look, how I itch, how much pain it gives me.
But, now, I’m taking what I have and fighting with it. Sure, it hurts to see how things are going sometimes. It even affects finances.
You know how you spend most of your savings on something you can’t point at? Like, where is the thing you bought?
But all these have made me grow. I have learnt things many people my age wouldn’t care to know of.
Truth be told, there is always another side to every situation. And I guess I am lucky here too. Because I have complete faith that I’m getting out of this.
Thanks for sharing, Jon. I’ve known you for a very long, long time.
Apr 14, 2017 @ 5:11 pm
Jon,
I really needed to read this post today.
I am a survivor of domestic violence and a single mother of three boys.
Unexpectedly, I have found myself faced with a life altering situation, one which pales in comparison to all that you have had to endure and overcome.
Ironically, I have also found my “counter punch” through my writing.
Thank you for this amazing, perspective altering post. You are truly an inspiration.
Here is what I wrote yesterday.
It All Leads Back to You
https://mylifeiswear.com/2017/04/14/it-all-leads-back-to-you/?iframe=true&theme_preview=true
Jon, your words have given me everything that I need to keep me moving forward. I am sure that I will be revisiting this post many, many times in the future to help pull me through.
God bless,
Erin
May 3, 2017 @ 3:55 pm
Awesome work, Jon. I’ve heard you on James Altucher’s show. Very glad I did. Keep up the good work
Jul 12, 2017 @ 1:43 pm
You are a real hero! I admire you. Keep up your good work, my friend.
Sep 27, 2018 @ 4:31 pm
What an incredible message. I almost cried a few times… The life the average person lives today is already light years better than it was a few hundred years ago. Just think how beautiful it would be if more people shared your mindset! Just amazing. Thank you!
Mar 4, 2017 @ 4:46 am
What an incredible man you are, made so by the sounds of it by an incredible woman. It shows the power of good parenting. Inspirational.
Mar 4, 2017 @ 7:01 am
Wow! No more excuses from me then. Thank you Jon. I thank God for you. You’re changing lives.
Mar 4, 2017 @ 7:34 am
I hate you! You reminded me of my own vulnerability, my own weaknesses and my lack of courage. .. but then you also reminded me that I can be better, stronger and full of courage. Self doubts, fear and self pity are an inside job – punches I can’t counter because they are my own hand. I need to stop or I will never win the fight. Thank you for sharing.
Mar 4, 2017 @ 8:03 am
Jon Morrow !!! What a FANTASTIC human being you are, THANK YOU for sharing your life story.
Mar 4, 2017 @ 12:20 pm
Fantastic! Looking forward to receiving more of these amazing messages! THANK YOU!
Mar 6, 2017 @ 1:39 pm
Hi Jon!
Man, you are so inspiring!
Mike Weiss (of Client Engagement Academy) shared this link with me on FB – and I just made the connection that you were also rockin the top of Danny Iny’s launch… Which speaks volumes about your work and success in life.
I SO hope to meet you someday in person. Until then! Keep rockin it. 🙂
Cheers!
Mar 9, 2017 @ 12:54 am
Dear Jon,
You are an amazing person and Thank God your mother had the strength to do what she did. Amazing, just amazing. You are my inspiration from this day forward. I am a Registered Nurse and I don’t think I’ve heard any story of such outstanding acts of bravery and triumphs. Outstanding Jon. You are a true inspiration to anyone. I will pass your story on and on to anyone that is in need of your courage from this day forward also. I am honored to have read your story and would be just as so to meet you in person. You are in my prayers. Carry on Dear Jon. I would love to hear more of your successes in the future.
Sincerely,
Donna
Mar 9, 2017 @ 12:48 am
Thank you, Jon, you give so much. I have been to that crossroads, yes different one from yours, but I recognised it straight away, dig the hole or say no! Like you I am still going forward and find enjoyment in each day…even the bad times are good.
Mar 10, 2017 @ 3:25 am
Hey, Jon!
I’ve read this post multiple times and it continues to move me, especially the last part. I admit that making a name for myself with the ultimate goal of helping people and having freedom is extremely hard, but you make it seem possible. Heck, you made it possible!
I’m grateful that life gave me the opportunity to know your story because it’s one of the few that truly inspires and motivates me to take action.
And I *have* taken action. No more excuses to live the life I truly want to live.
Mar 10, 2017 @ 1:24 pm
Hi Jon, what an honour to meet you. Many thanks for the heads up in the above posting it has taught me a lot.
Take care.
Johan.
Mar 10, 2017 @ 1:58 pm
I absolutely love your post. You have summoned up the Angels to defeat my demons and forge sheds to a better future. Thank you!
Mar 10, 2017 @ 6:02 pm
Hi Tim,
Hi! I was about to text “Ted”, Lol! Any relation? Oh boy, I’m showing my age now. Ha Ha! Thank you for the response to my post. When I read how much pain that Jon has endured in his life and as a person living with chronic pain for years, I need to sit back and reflect on his pain and try to withstand mine in silence. He has encouraged me to fight my demons also.
There should only be more people in the world as him. I just hope the pain part is or has been over for him as I feel that from his story, he has endured enough.
Nice talking to you, Donna
Mar 14, 2017 @ 4:25 pm
You know I am a tetraplegic and have an admiration of all you have achieved…I’m 27 years post injury and have achieved much (I’m still living!), but, how do you advise someone who is facing new challenges (work-wise and money wise), and finding it a struggle after the years of shit?
Mar 17, 2017 @ 12:21 pm
Right at a point in my life when it seemed that everything around me was unraveling, I found your website. Everything you wrote was just what I needed to read.
It made me ashamed for my lack of gratitude towards the good things I have, and reinvigorated my resolve not to let the blows of life get me down.
The punches don’t seem so hard now. And, I’m learning to look for the counterpunch openings.
Thank you, Jon, for your straightforward honesty and wisdom, and God bless you.
Mar 17, 2017 @ 8:35 pm
Joining that fight with you. My life changed in a car accident, but I will never, never, never give up.
Mar 23, 2017 @ 5:15 am
Awesome. Your are such an inspiration and thank you for waking me up.
Mar 24, 2017 @ 6:05 pm
I suffer from chronic illness and sometimes feel as though my goals are impossible. Reading a story such as yours reminds me to keep my head up and keep moving forward, however, and I really appreciate you sharing your story! Very well written and inspirational!
Mar 24, 2017 @ 8:03 pm
You are incredible. Can’t wait to read more!
Mar 25, 2017 @ 8:18 pm
Wow buddy
Amazing – you are so STRONG and inspirational.
Mar 26, 2017 @ 2:05 am
Powerful writing coupled with an inspiring story.
You’re so much more than a great blogger and writer, Jon. Please keep the stories coming – this might just be your greatest legacy yet.
Mar 31, 2017 @ 3:28 pm
Dear Jon, I am inspired beyond words by your post. Somehow, you help me to understand more about suffering than ever before.
It has always been a mystery to me. Impenetrable. Shrouded in dread. So often, I have heard the things people say about suffering. There is a flip-side to the coin. Every cloud has a silver lining. And so on. Yet, I really did not get it.
Until now.
And as I read about your process and your incredible journey, I am seeing my own challenges in an entirely new light. Thinking too that the application of the tools you describe will in fact be life-changing for me.
How can I thank you for a gift such as this!
Apr 4, 2017 @ 1:12 am
Dear Jon,
Thank you for your message! I look forward to more of your inspiring thoughts & God Bless you in all that you do now & in the future. My picture of the tall bird with the frogs pads around the bird’s neck. At the bottom of the picture “NEVER GIVE UP”.
It always makes me smile! Since my health problems begin many years ago, I always keep that message close to me. It has gotten me thru many difficult times. To great times ahead no matter what is given to me.
Keep Smilin’
Nancy
Apr 10, 2017 @ 9:16 am
I thought maybe someone had been in this situation and knew the right steps.
My good friend from S. Caroline is losing his medicaid insurance coverage because he started receiving Social Security in January 2017. He found out a day before that he got for his necessary daily injections cost $9,100 per month. Social Security is only $791 a month. So, he can’t cover $9100 from his own pocket. In other words, he’ll be dead if he is unable to return his medicaid insurance instead SS $791 a month.
Please maybe somebody has a good advice for my friend. I’m not from the USA, I don’t know a way how to help him.
Sorry, I put it here. I just thought here should be people who had faced with the same stuff already and overcame it somehow.
Thanks.
Apr 11, 2017 @ 11:56 am
reading this made me understand how minor my mizeries really are, but also how cowerd I actually am, how I don’t really take risks. My mother used to tell me in order to push me to study that Capitalism is coming (I’m from former Socialist country) and I have to be competitive, which is impossible without good education. She also used to tell me that everybody else could just work as a taxi driver, as a sales person at the store, but as I’m blind, I won’t be able to, so I have to study to be able to get the job I could do, which would demand academic knoledge, parents are very important in this situations.
Apr 11, 2017 @ 12:21 pm
It’s really interesting, how the same story could be told in different tone, with different intentions, in a different mode and have totally different outcomes. In another blog you talked about how terrible were reasons that pushed to move to Mexico. It felt like you had to do it spontaniously, but here, when you told more details, it seems like well-thought decision with minimized risks (you had clients to work with, who would pay you, you had planned on this and prepared somewhat).
Apr 12, 2017 @ 8:31 pm
I remember one of the most challenging periods of my life. When I just had entered the university. Wishing not to be a financial burdon for the university, to prove that disability accesssability is not as expensive as one might think, I asked the administration to just assign a volunteer/s from my student class, who could read to me (as I’m totally blind) and who would have to do the same reading assignments and take the same classes. One girl actually agreed, but she was not doing it well. She would skip a tone of readding, saying that nobody reads this, nobody understands this stupid texts. Then she would see a frined and want to say “hi” to her/him and that “hi” would last for half an hour. During the seminars, as she could see she could look up at some materials to answer professor’s questions, could snick through and I couldn’t. If I hadn’t read it, I hadn’t read it. I sat there like stupid. It was one class, when I felt particularly desparate and sorry for myself. I saw, how those sighted students were struggling with all reading materials they had in front of them to answer a question that seemed really simple for me. I wished, I had read that material, I imagined, how easily I could answer this. I thought that they really are not using and are taking for granted their sight. I thought: “they can see, it’s so easy for them to get these learing materials, but they don’t care and I care so much but there is not so much I can do”. Finally I of course went to the university administration, explained the situation and ask them to hire a paid assistant, which they did and after which I became the best student at my class of the law school having the highest GPA.
Apr 15, 2017 @ 10:42 am
Except for the bad words, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story, Jon. Thank you! While you had and have it so much worse than me, I was able to relate. I’m a recent cancer survivor still in recovery, and I’ve come to learn that my #1 priority each day is to feel good. When feeling bad or in pain, then I make it my #1 priority to feel better. That keeps my mindset on a positive plane from which only good things can happen. Keep up the great work you do and always know you’re an inspiration to a vast audience, and to some who suffer in silence.
May 6, 2017 @ 1:33 am
Totally agree, but I also wished that bad words weren’t there. I really want to share this with my sons, so I’ll just edit them out. I also have suffered with tons of pain over my lifetime with a chronic disability beginning at age 9, wheelchair at age 15, and osteoporosis of an 80 year old at age 22. I really appreciated your varying perspectives of how to see your pain and your life circumstances. Recently I’ve been dealing with a ton of emotional and relational pain and it’s definitely been hard in a different way from the physical pain up to this point in my life. Thanks again for your perspective and sharing your journey!
Apr 16, 2017 @ 8:03 pm
What an inspirational story, so powerful! I was deeply touched by your story because you address some of the fundamental elements that can make or break a person: the acceptance of unfairness in this life and the realization that one can do something about it or slide down the deepest pit of self-pity, discouragement and fear. Keep up the good work. Thank you so much for sharing your life with your readers and inspiring and encouraging them. You make a difference in people’s life and that is the highest purpose any human being can aspire to.
Apr 21, 2017 @ 3:21 am
You are truly amazing and unstoppable man. We look for motivation and search around, i think it is here.
Apr 21, 2017 @ 8:04 am
Truly Inspiring! Couldn’t leave without commenting. Had to make several second-guesses whether to comment or not. Anyways, I decided to go ahead. Thank You So Much for coming up with such a wonderful blog, not to mention the blog posts. Thanks for taking time out of your highly trafficked blog smartblogger and setting up this new site. You truly are UNSTOPPABLE Warrior Jon. And do remain one all through your life…Hats off to you and your mom.
Apr 21, 2017 @ 11:41 pm
Wow! You really are most brave and positive person one can think of. All the best for you in the future, always keep your good spirit!
Apr 29, 2017 @ 4:18 am
I’ve followed your writing off and on for years. For someone who doesn’t move much, you sure pack a punch.
Apr 29, 2017 @ 4:35 am
Unstoppable
You can be unstoppable
When challenge comes your way
Always give your everything
As you wake to each new day
What is too much pressure
Or maybe too much pain
How much can one man take
When he knows how to use his brain
To have a single focus
Brings clarity of sight
That even in the darkness
The future may look bright
There are no upper limits
To what can be achieved
It all comes down to attitude
And what we let ourselves believe
May 5, 2017 @ 12:54 pm
Jon, you are a beautiful, brave, amazing soul. Thank you for being such an incredibly inspiring human. This was a wonderful read, it made me cry on several occasions. I really admire your strength.
The Universe has such an accurate timing to send this story across my way.
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart and I wish you all the best.
May 5, 2017 @ 6:46 pm
WOW was that exactly what I needed to read today. Heard you on James Altucher’s podcast and it made me look up your blog. I was having a hard few weeks and now I realized I’m really not. I’m so ready to face the day and to “never, never, never give up!”
May 7, 2017 @ 6:33 am
Thank you Jon, listened to your podcast which made me to look you up. You are awesome! May the light continue to shine on you. Thanks
May 10, 2017 @ 8:38 am
Jon,
Greatly enjoyed the interview you did with James Altucher, which is where I learned of you. Your spirit and story is so inspiring – your resilience and tenacity under circumstances most of us cannot begin to comprehend is humbling. Look forward to perusing your sites and learning from you. Love and light to you…
May 15, 2017 @ 5:52 am
You are an inspiration man. Thanks for sharing 🙂
May 18, 2017 @ 12:18 pm
This is inspiring.
Jun 8, 2017 @ 10:48 pm
Now that is a great story, really inspirational.
Jun 18, 2017 @ 1:20 am
Jon,
Thankyou so much for your courage & honesty. Remarkable & life saving.
Your “counter punch” approach makes perfect sense & is a way more useful response than the years of positive/delusional thinking I’ve been struggling on with at great cost to my mental health & self esteem.
I also love your idea of really, fully examining the full fear spectrum to canvas all other options & scenarios.
I’ve been the living dead, paralysed by fear for years now.
Today, after reading your story, this changes.
Thankyou from the bottom of my heart,
Michele
Jun 19, 2017 @ 1:01 pm
Great words. I promise my self one thing in 5 words: Never Never Never Give Up! Thank you for the wake-up call Sir Jon. You’re an inspiration Bro!
Jul 12, 2017 @ 5:57 am
Its just great inspiration story. i love to read it. Thanks for share with us.
Jul 12, 2017 @ 9:17 am
For the better part of my life people have considered me a tough guy, a bit of a badass and generally a strong psrson. I ain’t shit compared to you. Thanks for your wisdom and your honesty. This article is my new mantra.
Jul 29, 2017 @ 9:44 am
Thanks for writing this remarkable post. This is an example of how life should be lived by everybody. No one should have any excuse of his bad luck or circumstances after reading this post. You are a huge inspiration to everybody Jon. Thanks for sharing these lessons with the world. May God bless you !
Aug 5, 2017 @ 12:10 am
Jon. A remarkable story and life this far. Knowing only what I have read of you today, do you give any credit to God for any of your strength of character?
May God continue to bless you and more importantly may you seek the wisdom to give Him the credit for you strength and success thus far so you can continue to enjoy a fulfilling life here and the perfect eternity He offers all who will believe.
Aug 8, 2017 @ 4:23 am
I have what by comparison are some very minor challenges I have been facing and still need to face. Your story made a difference to me. I feel humbled by your courage and noe clearly see the insignificance of my challenges. You are a force for good in the world. May you live long, continue to have a good life and leave a legacy you can be duly proud of
Aug 8, 2017 @ 6:46 pm
Giving up can be so easy to be but you proved the value of persistence and perseverance. Thank you for being an inspiration
Aug 16, 2017 @ 4:32 am
I have been encouraged by your story too, despite all the pains and suffering you went through you never gave up. You are an inspiration to many people. I have learned a lesson never to give up in life no matter the hard situation i may find myself in. Thank you for sharing you story with us.
Aug 20, 2017 @ 7:28 am
Great post. A good timing for me to read it, when i have just started my blog a couple of days before. Keep sharing the tips 🙂
Karma Fighter Wheelchair
Keep Posting:)
Aug 21, 2017 @ 12:21 pm
Amazing story! Everyone should read your story. What an inspiration!
Aug 26, 2017 @ 2:27 pm
You rock! This is seriously the most inspiring post I’ve ever read, and this is coming from someone who reads a lot of feel-good, you-can-do-it stuff online.
One part really stood out to me: “If I allowed myself to be angry at Bill for even one moment, I may have sunk into a pit of rage and despair so deep I would’ve never climbed out of it.”
I have a lot of anger toward someone from my past, and it’s not healthy. I totally get what you’re talking about when you mention the pit of rage and despair, so I’m going to work on letting go of my anger.
Thanks for sharing your story. You’re a talented writer, and I admire your attitude. Take care.
Aug 30, 2017 @ 6:30 am
What a story, what a great mind you have and great writing. I twice listened to your story on James Altucher’s podcast which led me here. Thank you for your work and thanks too to your wonderful, caring and courageous mother. Indeed, never, ever give up!!
Sep 3, 2017 @ 5:01 pm
You are a true inspiration and breath of fresh air. I can not wait to share your story with my children and the rest of the world. As a father of child with special needs, I get the who medicare/income bs and find it ridiculous that in the richest country in the world, those with the least can not make any income or are capped at a certain income. Keep up the amazing work!
Sep 5, 2017 @ 2:29 am
You are the great inspiration for all of us. What a great journey and the way of dealing with your life. You’re a talented writer, and I admire your attitude. Take care. Thanks for this inspiration.
Sep 9, 2017 @ 5:29 am
This article made me cry, it was so intense and so true,
thank you Jon for your effort and giving energy to other people.
Oct 4, 2017 @ 12:59 pm
Wow, just wow! Your words moved me to tears and I am so thankful for having read them. I am very glad I found your blog and I can’t wait to read more. You are such an inspiration and I love your honesty!
Oct 5, 2017 @ 12:03 am
Jon,
I’m in awe of your fortitude and wisdom. I will be sharing your remarkable story and matchless attitude with others.
When my second son, fourth child, Caleb, was born with several life-threatening congenital anomalies, not the least of which was a gravely serious heart defect, undiagnosed inter-utero, I was tempted to remain paralyzed and numb, as was my son following his second surgery, performed at four days old. But, thankfully, something prompted me–perhaps initially it was pride–to stand up and fight because the entire medical staff (as unimaginably immense as it was) was very apparently resigned to the fact that the hopeless child would be dead within days no matter what course of action we as parents chose to pursue.
All throughout my son’s 3.5 year life I fought for him–often against the very medical “system” which saved his life many times–only to ultimately lose the battle to the adverse side affects of the Antiretro virals (anti-HIV medications) which he took to combat his HIV infection. He was infected with an HIV-contaminated unit of blood following his third (of five) open heart surgeries at 16 months of age.
By the time the donor (whose blood tested negative, but was indeed positive for HIV when he donated the unit with which my son was transfused) returned to a blood bank to donate again ten months later, his HIV infection resulted in a positive test and the blood bank performed a “look back,” which eventually came back to us. When my son’s pediatric cardiologist called us and recommended we have our son tested for HIV “merely as a precaution” something told me that he would indeed be positive–which he was.
I share my story to illustrate that as a father of a son who suffered immensely for this entire 3.5 years of life, I often felt trapped, betrayed, manipulated, cheated, depressed, alone, ignored, misunderstood and crushed by grief upon the shockingly unexpected sudden death of my son barely a year and a half after we became aware of his HIV positive status.
Thankfully the pity party my aching heart wanted to throw never materialized due to my relentless life with three other children and a fourth born just 13 months after Caleb died. In that I was serving as an active duty US Air Force officer and pilot flying at the Presidential Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base at the time of my son’s death, I many times flew various US Cabinet Members and Congressmen around the world.
I particularly recall a three-week trip flying then-Secretary of State Colin Powell around the world, about eighteen months after my son’s death. When we returned to Andrews Air Force Base following that trip I had the distinct impression that I “woke up” as we parked our aircraft following the landing. I determined that just as the aircraft had been on autopilot at 47,000 feet, so had I been on autopilot for eighteen months–without even realizing how numbed I was.
Finally, at that time, the continuously grey sky gradually began to return to various hues of blue. Out of my intense journaling from those years came my book, “The Caleb Years: When God Doesn’t Make Sense.” (www.thecalebyears.com) Thankfully, I came to some semblance of reconciliation with my pain, grief, and despair–many times it was little more than a stand-off; but, eventually, I was able to put my rage into perspective and learn to love life again. You, my friend epitomize success and overcoming even in the midst of the most seemingly hopeless situations–I admire your grit.
Certainly, if I’d been aware of your story at that time in my life my healing would have been accelerated. Therefore, once again, I applaud you for your accomplishments and transparency in sharing your story. I hope you’ll consider reading my story and giving me your feedback. I would humbly appreciate hearing/reading your reflections.
Blessings to you for your courage and that of your amazing mother–she truly is a gift from God.
Oct 23, 2017 @ 2:25 pm
Jon,
As I am sure you know, pain and suffering are not just physical things but they can hit the soul as well. My situation is nowhere even close to what you have experienced but I, like all the other readers here are not only inspired, but I want to slap my own face from the shame I feel at times (you know, the poor me crap). My story is only one of feeling lost – stuck in an unrewarding career and feeling like my life is a bad rerun with each day saying to myself – I gotta do something different! Only to wake up to the same stupid day again. Now, I am a Christian, thank goodness! Otherwise, I would probably just feel pretty useless except for my paycheck I bring in to buy food for the kids and help hubby pay the mortgage. But instead – I wake up each day thankful for my life and even my shitty job. Your story was one of perserverance with a wonderful sense of humor! Thank you so much for sharing. Now, I just need to figure out my counterpunch. Cheers!!
Oct 23, 2017 @ 2:26 pm
Jon,
As I am sure you know, pain and suffering are not just physical things but they can hit the soul as well. My situation is nowhere even close to what you have experienced but I, like all the other readers here are not only inspired, but I want to slap my own face from the shame I feel at times (you know, the poor me crap). My story is only one of feeling lost – stuck in an unrewarding career and feeling like my life is a bad rerun with each day saying to myself – I gotta do something different! Only to wake up to the same stupid day again. Now, I am a Christian, thank goodness! Otherwise, I would probably just feel pretty useless except for my paycheck I bring in to buy food for the kids and help hubby pay the mortgage. But instead – I wake up each day thankful for my life and even my shitty job. Your story was one of perseverance with a wonderful sense of humor! Thank you so much for sharing. Now, I just need to figure out my counter-punch. Cheers!!
Oct 30, 2017 @ 5:46 am
This is a great post. So clear and easy to follow. Thanks for the tangible and attainable help. All your hard work is much appreciated.
Nov 10, 2017 @ 2:56 pm
Dear Jon, in times of obscure despair, your words came to me at precise time and show me hope. Thanks a lot.
I’ll never, ever give up!
Nov 21, 2017 @ 1:57 am
This is a great inspiration and its comes at a time I definitely need this. Thanks Mr. Jon
Nov 25, 2017 @ 3:49 am
Dear Jon,
You are an inspiration to me and many others.
Thanks for your work.
Dec 7, 2017 @ 1:48 pm
Thanks for your story ! You’re amazing ! You’re a hero ! God bless you!
Dec 11, 2017 @ 3:00 am
Your incredible…Mr. John,
Sooooo… Impressed and inspired by your story. Thank you for being you! And, I’m so thankful that I came across your story. That I couldnt help but feel the need to share your story with as many people as I could reach threw my Family & Friends on Facebook!! As I have often felt, that there seems to be a lot of darkness present in many of these lifes. Sir!…I wouldnt be surprised if your book sales shot threw the star$$$ by the new years end. Perhaps by my perches alone!… God bless you…you are a shinning Star!!! and Merry Christmas John!! Huggs from Texas…Joy…CNA/ CMA/ CHHA/ CLT 32 year In private duty nursing!!!!
Dec 12, 2017 @ 2:46 pm
Such a real motivation…. Love you dude!
Dec 25, 2017 @ 7:59 am
You’re a big inspiration Jon… I will be sharing your great story. Thank you!!!
Dec 27, 2017 @ 9:20 am
Hello Jon,
This is a truly inspiring story of yours. I think, everybody should take lessons from your life and learn something new rather loose hope to live life. Appreciating you that you share your real experience with all.
Jan 4, 2018 @ 3:57 pm
You are amazing and so inspiring 😉 Great words ! Thank you
Jan 11, 2018 @ 6:47 am
Jon, you are an awesome human being with immense strength.Thanks for the inspiration.Keep on keeping on.
The baton is now in my hand.I totally have no reason not to excel.From Smartblogger to Unstoppable, there’s absolutely no viable excuse not to make it happen.
Jan 12, 2018 @ 10:58 am
Hi Jon, I’ve followed you for a long time now and also read your story a number of times but seeing you right in that wheel chair full length got me thinking, is this guy’s condition really like this and still he has accomplished so much? But then reading through this post just blew my mind. You’re really an inspiration. My saving this post and will be using it in my study classes.
Jan 14, 2018 @ 7:49 am
It was truly an inspiring story. Thanks for sharing with us 🙂
Jan 16, 2018 @ 3:29 pm
Dear Jon, I needed your words today more than fresh air and food. You reached inside me and fanned the flame of hope. Writing has always been my lifeline. I have filing cabinets full of my writing but have been too afraid to reach out on-line and share it, despite some best-selling books to my credit (Learning to Live, Learning to Love was translated into Greek and Russian.) For years when someone asks me to write for a publication, I jump at the chance and am always published and paid. It is the techno tangle that has de-railed me. You breathed courage into my lungs today, one breath and I am ready to counter punch my fear and frustration.
With thanks and love,
Joanna
Jan 17, 2018 @ 2:31 pm
You are really an inspiration for millions of people who think that they have the biggest problems.
Jan 18, 2018 @ 10:51 am
As to me, it’s a nice marketing lesson [your both posts].
Write your life sad story and folks can’t stop to comment here during many, many moons. Sure, if you started from a zero background, you would only get a dozen of full pity comments; something like, ”Oh, Jon, I’m sorry I’ll pray for you” and etc.
The snowball effect in action. LOL And it’s great
Jan 25, 2018 @ 10:05 am
I’ve felt unloved and broken for many years. I want to work but don’t know what to do. I have to drive my grandkid to school and pick him up so even if I found a job I couldn’t take it. My grandkid doesn’t have a mother. Also because it would kill me to stand more than an hour I can’t work. As yourself I would lose my government payments and medical. My solution is to do something online. I have no idea what. Writing keeps coming to mind but (although I’ve researched) I don’t know where online to write, should I create a blog and how do I get paid. I live in an apartment building where everyone does drugs but me. These people are always trying to hustle me even though I always say no. I’m forced to smell their cigarettes in the hall every time I go in or out. Then my poor little nose stuffs up. My personal passions that make me happy are to have a puppy, a decent sized garden in the yard and to BBQ without being harassed. These might not seem like much but they’re all I dream about. I can’t do any of them here. The solution is work to get money to move outta the hell zone. I just don’t know “what” or “where” to start for years. It’s the same ole stagnant routine every single day. Reading what you wrote made my cry so much that I had to keep wiping my tears away so I could continue reading. I’ve learned alot from you. I wish I knew someone like you. I wish you well.
Feb 23, 2018 @ 8:51 am
Thank you from the top and bottom of my heart, Jon. I needed this today; miracles show up at just the right time. I was drowning in my self-pity last night at my health condition and lack of financial freedom. And you, wonderful soul, just inspired the living crap outta me. Laughing and crying, I know now I can get back up after the punches. I hope you know how many people you’ve inspired. Do you include motivational public speaking in your own bag of tricks? I sure hope so. If you aren’t already on the circuit, the world needs ya, my friend! Thank you. Two simple words that have no way to convey just how much you’ve inspired me and countless others.
Feb 27, 2018 @ 2:33 am
Jon, I read your story and of course my heart was touched by it. You are amazing.
I cannot help but feel God has shown HIS favor upon you.
I’m a Disable senior. My husband and I don’t know how we are going to be able to pay our rent.
We are seniors, trying to live on S S. which is not at all adequate.
Tonight we were talking of trying to work from home together. We don’t know how much longer before we get put out on the street.
I want to tell you that you really have made the words, “never, never, never give up ” stick in my mind.
We are both 75 years old, both have diabetes and suffer many complications of this disease. We have other health problems also and it’s difficult not to get discouraged sometimes. I’m house bound. My husband is able to make it out to the store to get us a little food most days..
So far I manage to get into the car, to go to Dr. appointments. Other than this I’m home bound, …. pretty much.
On occasion, with the help of my husband, I manage to go inside of a restaurant. We order something and split it, for financial reasons. We don’t do this very often.
This is not meant to be a sob story, it’s just to let you know how things are with us.
I will be praying for you Jon,. If it were NOT for the Lord in my life I’m quite sure I’d no longer be here.
I pray HE continues to bless you and restores a good measure of strength to you.
I am believing that HE will.
Don’t know how I happened upon your site and really don’t know how I ever got the courage to reply! I’m timid and shy and it’s just not something I normally do! I just felt inside my soul that I was meant to.
I do wish you all the best,
Ladye Jane
Apr 10, 2018 @ 2:04 am
Thanks for your story and lessons, Such an inspirational post.. You are an inspiration to me and many others.
keep it up! God bless you!
Apr 16, 2018 @ 1:47 pm
Jon,
There are so many nuggets of wisdom here!
Do you do any work with children? Your experiences, perspective, and wins are awe inspiring!
Thank you for sharing your story. I plan to refer back to this post often and try to impart your way of thinking on my kids. It’s tough because my mind says that I don’t want them to experience hurt, misfortune, or certainly tragedy but as you say they may need to experience that perspective to get to this level of thinking.
Best,
Adam
Apr 17, 2018 @ 7:52 am
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me, you give me best information! Thanks, very good post.
Keep Posting:)
Apr 18, 2018 @ 2:38 am
Thank you!
Your articles helped me to write, but now I find that your life can help me to live.
I shared it and sent it to my children. I believe it can help anyone who reads it.
Thank you for being so brave, so wise, and so generous!
May 9, 2018 @ 4:30 pm
You’ve inspired me. Thank you, Jon.
I’ve captured some of your wise words in my journal. As I was flipping through it to find a blank page for them, I chanced upon an excerpt from _Change Your Brain Change Your Life_ by Daniel G. Amen, M.D., which strikes me as apropos of your life:
“My life was a mess, and now it is a message.
I have been tested, now I have a testimony.
I was a victim, now I am victorious.
I went through trials, now I am triumphant.”
Jun 3, 2018 @ 4:53 pm
Thank you for writing this post. I found it hugely relatable and very inspiring. One of the best posts I have read in a loooong time! Mandy X
Jul 19, 2018 @ 8:08 am
Nice one Rich
Jun 19, 2018 @ 12:49 am
Wow! You in fact are most brave and unconditional person one can think of. All the best for you in the highly developed, always save your pleasing simulation!
Jun 22, 2018 @ 7:22 am
Great inspiration for all of us…
Actually, I was searching for something else but fortunately getting this post.
Awaiting for more inspiration story like thing,
Thanks
Jun 23, 2018 @ 10:34 pm
So Jon…is it 47 books or 33 books? How about if I come up with the 14 that make up the frustrating questionable difference?
No? I figured! But I have a feeling you have a sense of humor! Witty, no doubt!
Man…I can only hope to get through 33! (gulp)
…I’ll be back!!!
Lisa Clagett,
C7 Quad~
♿️
Jul 19, 2018 @ 8:01 am
Dear Jon,
You’re all shades of awesomeness and its sheer providence that i get to meet you. Well through your writings and i hope it dosent stay that way for long. I really want it to be for real!
I’m tended to play the life-is-unfair game and wallow in self pity. But you Jon, you inspire me to rise up and never give you.
Thank you for being such a huge inspiration.
Thank you for selflessly pouring yourself to your readers.
You’re in my prayers 🙂
Regards, Loveth.
Jul 23, 2018 @ 12:07 pm
Wow!
You are truly brave and an inspiration for others.
God bless you.
Thanks.
Jul 23, 2018 @ 1:44 pm
Dear Jon
What an incredible story and what an incredible human being you are… !!
A wonderful example to all of us whose own experiences of pain will often pale in comparison to yours. Very humbling; you are truly inspirational.
And for me, a very timely and needed kick up the bum to stop thinking (and planning) and start doing.
Thank you.
Aug 4, 2018 @ 4:52 am
This is so inspiring, Jon. Such a fighting, determined spirit you have. Your story has fueled me with much burning desire to go out there and stop all excuses. Thanks for sharing, Jon
Aug 13, 2018 @ 8:26 am
Pretty cool and inspirational article.
Sep 6, 2018 @ 5:10 am
What an inspiring story. I will remember this for rest of my life. Wonderful out of this world.
Sep 7, 2018 @ 6:44 pm
This is the most motivational article I’ll ever read! Its amazing.
Oct 11, 2018 @ 3:39 pm
Wow. That’s all I’ve got to say. Wow…and thank you.
Oct 15, 2018 @ 8:05 am
I just read about this through James Altucher and I couldn’t be anymore excited. Thank you so much for what you have done sharing all of this information with the world.
It’s inspiring to see someone so focused on sharing what might be a hard story to help others. Keep it up!
Oct 24, 2018 @ 12:26 am
Thanks once again for sharing your valuable thoughts.
Oct 24, 2018 @ 1:12 am
Waw! only this time I read the writing that really made me think upside down. All this time I have lived enough. Perfect and can do anything I like. But unfortunately I am not grateful for what I have today. You really inspired me, and many people read this article. Believe me, behind the difficulties you receive now will pay off with a special gift from God.
Nov 2, 2018 @ 8:01 am
This article is very heart touching and emotional, brought tears to my eyes because I had a cousin who was facing the same issues. Very motivational.
Nov 6, 2018 @ 5:44 pm
That was amazing dear you are so inspiring….i love It you just bless my soul
Nov 17, 2018 @ 10:24 pm
Superb and life changing article.
Your life story infact very practical that one can and must apply to his or her life no matter how bad the situation or life be.
Truly life changing article.
Hats off to you.
Keep posting and motivating us.