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Leadership is ruled by the simple connection of action over time. For this reason, with Liz Pearl, Editor, for PK Press, I wrote a feature in her new book, “BRAIN ATTACK – The Journey Back: A Collection of Inspirational Narratives about Stroke Recovery.” Combining resilience with plucky accountability, this post will reconnect the creative side of positive persuasion…
Am I a good person, stalwart and true? Do I possess qualities of character, wit, intelligence and responsibility? Am I run down and downtrodden? Confident and always reaching for even higher plateaus? Doing enough to get by or go further to accomplish all that I can acquire?
All of us have these questions. And, even though I am not a philosopher or visionary, I grasped a unique insight of the inner workings of my life, especially after a massive stroke at the age of 27, of resilience.
Building Blocks
Why do I say that? Looking objectively, I am amazed and humbled that my life and all the wonderful support of my family, friends, and others over so many years have been a blessing many times over. My abilities, creativity and “can do” attitude to accomplish all of the aspirations both in the past and going forward is still gratifying.
Considering that the prognosis, originally, of my stroke were:
- wheelchair-bound forever
- never go to work for the rest of my natural life and
- be choppy and unintelligible because of aphasia, a language disorder that affects the processing of my brain,
I was upset.
Notwithstanding, my willpower and flexibility were part of the building blocks of my recovery.
Scope of Insight
So, whether you are:
- just at the beginning of your trek to your recovery or
- a person who wants more latitude in the approach to personal satisfaction or
- someone that is fine and dandy, but needs a pick-me-up,
here are four examples that I use, not only for my rehabilitation but beyond:
Tenacity
A bulldog at heart, I am voraciously advancing on any project, advancement and brainstorming ideas that would increase my opportunity or talents. Whether it is my recovery after my stroke or my twenty-four years of a professional career after the accident, to be honest, I don’t take, “No,” in any shape or form in my pursuit when progressing my cause.
Not over-the-top or argumentative, stubborn or too aggressive, tenacity is not giving up. Not excepting the norm and fighting (both literally and figuratively,) it is the good fight on what one believes. In my estimation, suffering a stroke and, especially, procuring aphasia, was crucial to grapple and wiggle my way for every advantage improving my effectiveness.
Tepid and ineffective are not in anyone’s vocabulary if one is trying to build connections to one’s ultimate mission. A strong will and tenacity are indispensable to increase one’s chances of success.
Adaptability
One of my frustrations is that my entire right side is still very weak after my stroke. Using a cane for both walking and balance and the realization that my right s