A warm hello from Inspiration from a Blind, brought to you monthly by ShirleyCheng.com!
I hope you're off to a great new year! 2007 has been predicted to be the warmest year worldwide due to global warming and the El Nino weather phenomenon. So far, the winter here in the east coast has been feeling like spring. No kidding—this month, there were several days in the 50s, and one even in the low 70s! But whether or not their prediction will hold true, I do wish you a very warm year—plenty of warm feelings and happy moments. And for the year's resolution, become the boss of your emotions. How? Read on!
But first, some good news: the New Year has started out really great for me again—I have been notified that my essay entry, I Hold the Power, has received Honorable Mention in the 3rd annual Be the Star You Are! national writing contest, the same contest my entry, The Jewel from Heavenly Father, won 1st place last year! Needless to say, I am extremely honored and thrilled. I will share with you my Honorable Mention entry in the next issue of my newsletter.
How do you feel when someone say something very mean to you? I would guess that you'd feel hurt, angry, upset, frustrated, all at once. You don't need to be told that this is a natural reaction; after all, it would be quite non-human for us not to have those emotions. But the question is: how long do you have those feelings? How long do you let those negative emotions rule over you?
Last month, during my interview on A Fresh Start with Sallie Felton radio show, Sallie said that, for some people, holding on to these feelings is a control; these people feel that this is a control they have over the situation.
Are they really in control? No. Rather, their emotions are in control. Yes, when you have these feelings, these feelings control you, not the other way around. Holding on to these feelings does not enable you to control anything. When you harbor this negativity pass a "healthy time" it is time to move on. If you cannot, the question to ask yourself is: What's in it for me? What's in it for you to continually hold these bad feelings? Do you get anything good out of it? Does it make you feel good? Does it make you happy? (I truly doubt that.) Does it change the situation? Does the offender learn a lesson from it?
So next time, when Ms. Snobby treats you bad and it angers you, ask yourself, "What's in it for me?" When you find there's nothing in it for you, then it is time to say goodbye to anger. Never let negative emotions control you—you be in control!
I know it is, at times, much easier said than done. But I also know that it feels SO much better to throw away the negative feelings so you will not miss out another minute of enjoying all the good feelings. Personally, blocking out negativity is a very vital part of my life. It makes me cringe to even think about what could have happened to me if I had not. What a total mess my life would be! Imagine this: I would be a very grumpy, sad, depressed blind and disabled individual who sulks in her room all the time. But instead, I am a happy, positive blind and disabled person who actively writes all day in her room. While the ladder part stays the same (I'm usually in my room), I am not ol' Scrooge! Which person would you rather be?
Speaking about my positivity, I'd like to share an excellent article Dennis AuBuchon has written about me.
An Inspiration to us all
Many times we find ourselves faced with obstacles that we often feel are difficult if not impossible to overcome. We are not alone but when we discover other people who have accomplished much through many obstacles and adversities, ours pale in comparison. Many people face situations that are difficult. The critical aspect is not the situation but how we respond to it. There are those who face extreme obstacles to their dreams but do not let them prevent making their dreams reality. Goals/dreams should be such that they are not easy but are not impossible to accomplish. This article is about someone who has attained success by overcoming any obstacle or barrier that she faced. Her courage and faith in being able to accomplish the things she has is an inspiration to us all. This article is about such a person.
I had the distinct pleasure of discovering an author who is an inspiration not only to authors but to all of us. Shirley Cheng is a remarkable person who has overcome many adversities in her life. She is not only an author of several books but she is also an inspirational speaker. Shirley has severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and is blind. Even with these disabilities she never lost her faith. Her illnesses kept her from receiving any schooling until the age of eleven as she was constantly in the hospital. At this point in her life she began her schooling and mastered grade level in all areas after only 180 days in a special education class in elementary school.
A quote from Shirley on her web site states: "Although I am blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains." Shirley also says "Let the ropes of hope haul you high." This quote is something we should embrace as individuals. We should give everyone a chance even if they are disabled or blind as with Shirley's example, they can accomplish more than we realize. Taking this quote further we should encourage our representatives at all levels of government to not be blind to party loyalty and make the right decisions for their constituents and our country. They must see how decisions they make can improve our country for the better for everyone.
Shirley has achieved being the author of three books by the age of 20 and two more are slated for publication in 2007. Shirley is also a co-author/contributor of five books by the age of 23. Some of her co-authors include Jack Canfield and Dr. John Gray. Writing is not the only thing that keeps Shirley busy she is a motivational speaker and has been on numerous programs. She is also an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care, aide/caregiver monitoring and screening for students with special needs and people with disabilities, and world peace.
Shirley experienced first hand a situation where the courts became involved when doctors wanted to perform surgeries that may have ended her life. Her mother fought through the court system to keep doctors from performing surgeries that she felt would have ended her daughter's life. She finally won over the doctors and prevented the surgery. Shirley feels that she would not be with us today had it not been for her mother's fight in the courts. Go to her web site: www.shirleycheng.com to learn more about this amazing author, inspirational speaker and being an advocate for parental rights among others.
In summary, Shirley is a remarkable person and I look at what obstacles are before me in accomplishing my goals/dreams. I look at what she has accomplished and I am inspired to work toward my goals/dreams and know that if she can overcome her obstacles to success, then so can I. Her character and persistence are examples of qualities that are needed to succeed today. Everyone who becomes aware of her story should be inspired to work toward their goals/dreams whatever the obstacles may be.
Source: Dennis AuBuchon, author of Integrity: Do You Have It? 2nd edition. Website: www.myqualitywriting.com. Dennis has written many articles on integrity which can be accessed through his web site. His book listed above was written to help people understand the concept of integrity and apply a common set of criteria to measure others and us for its existence.
I have two book signings coming up, and for those of you who are in my area, you will be getting e-mails from me with the specific details. Here's what my schedule looks like:
Book signing during the Chinese New Year celebration of the Pig on Saturday, February 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Book signing and empowering talk on Friday, March 16 at Borders Books & Music (my third signing there) from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
