Limitless Potential
In 1991, Jason Wenning at age 16, set the first of his six world records in disabled swimming. He was born with multiple birth defects and doctors amputated his feet in childhood leaving him with stumps just below the knees.
When asked why he does it, he said,
“For the simple pleasure of forcing the body and mind I was given to the absolute edge of my capabilities. And when I do, I get for just a moment a vision of the limitless potential of the human race.”
Part of our Perspective Builder series
A Quick Thought That Deserves Lots of Thought
“A person should be more concerned with spiritual than with material matters, but another person’s material welfare is his spiritual concern.” — Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
Think Unique
Our purpose is found in our uniqueness. We are valuable because we are unique individuals. In order to discover and explore our purpose requires being our unique self. This begins with thinking for ourselves. Recent studies confirm the age-old “social influence effect” of being swayed by the crowd. Apparently, this has been exacerbated by the internet and social media. We may agree with the crowd after all, but let’s begin by questioning. Let’s challenge ourselves to think unique.
“When everyone thinks alike, no one thinks very much.”— Walter Lippmann
“A man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true.” – Sir Francis Bacon
Chaos Theory
We have all heard that when a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world, it can produce a much greater wind in another part of the world. We have all heard this concept applied to acts of kindness. It’s valuable to consider and remember that the butterfly is flapping its wings without any knowledge of its effects. For us doing the good and right thing is an instinct also, if we allow it.
Do a good and right thing simply because it’s the good and right thing to do.
“Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things.” – Edgar Degas
All Is For The Good
We can approach all the struggles that come our way as victims and be beaten, or with the attitude of “this too is for the good.” Rabbi Nachum Ish Gamzu would say this no matter what happened to him.
Imbedded in all our struggles are lessons for our progress towards becoming the person we are meant to be.
“Wounding and healing are not opposites. They’re part of the same thing. It is our wounds that enable us to be compassionate with the wounds of others.
It is our limitations that make us kind to the limitations of other people. It is our loneliness that helps us to find other people or to even know they’re
alone with an illness.” — Rachel Naomi Remen
Part of Attitude Or Gratitude series
High Hopes
Sing along.
“But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes. He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes.*
Some say that hope is not a strategy, and by itself it is not. Without hope though there is no belief. Without belief there is no follow through and it is a short road to giving up. It can be a short road to giving up, or a longer exciting road to your dreams coming true. “High Hopes.”
“There is no greater disease than the loss of hope.” – Rabbi Yisroel Salanter
“If you lose your money, you’ve lost nothing. If you lose your health, you’ve lost half. But if you lose your hope, you’ve lost it all.” – Reb Mendel Futerfas
*”High Hopes” – first popularized by Frank Sinatra, with music written by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Sammy Cahn.
Part of Your Power Is In Your Follow Through series
A Quick Thought That Deserves Lots of Thought
“Happiness is a perfume which you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.” — Louis Mann
The Spinning Rabbi - Heart & Soul 