The Power of Stories

     Hey, everyone! So, I recently watched a video on Facebook that truly brought me to tears. It was a Pakistani woman, about 27 years old, and she simply told her story. She explained how a "good daughter" does what they're told in her country, so she got married at 18 to please her parents. Two years later, she and her husband got into a bad car accident. Her husband fled the car minimally injured, but left her in there. She sustained incredibly damaging injuries, including spinal injuries so severe that she lost the ability to walk, and was confined to a wheelchair. I know this sounds super sad, but PLEASE hang in there. She was understandably depressed after months in the hospital and a continuous assault of bad news. She was told she could no longer have children, and would never paint again.

     She pleaded for someone to get her painting supplies, and she proved everyone wrong! She lost her grief and anger in the colors of the paintings, and through her art, she began to cope. She was so tired of being afraid and sad, so she wrote down EVERY fear she had, and decided to face them one by one. For example, she was afraid she wouldn't be accepted because of her disability. So, instead of hiding from the world, she  started public speaking, became an anchor on a news channel, and did some modeling. Another example:  she was afraid she could never be a mother: so, she adopted a little boy. She was afraid of divorce, but divorced her husband anyway, and set them both free in the process.

     This was hands down one of the most inspiring stories I've ever seen! Aside from her perseverance, bravery, and creativity, she did what EVERY PERSON should do: Face their fears so they can LIVE THEIR LIVES with no boundaries, no limitations, and no fear. So often, individuals miss out on an incredible amount of  opportunities because of fear: fear of failure, judgement, rejection, being ridiculed, and sometimes I think there are people who are genuinely afraid to succeed. All fear does is block the magic and beauty that flows from every person.  It makes us each less than what we all could, should, and are meant to be. It dissolves our dreams into shadows, and hollows out our souls. This girl refuse to let fear damage the rest of her life. Think about what humans could do they did the same!
 

Comments

  1. KZNovember 1, 2017 at 4:23 PM

    Hi Lisa! I truly love this post. Thank you for sharing a beautiful story. This woman is so courageous! I love the line in your post that reads, "All fear does is block the magic and beauty that flows from every person." What a wonderful saying.

    I can relate to the part of this woman's story of how she was able to cope with this tragedy through getting back to her love of painting. Any time I've had to deal or cope with tough times or fear in my life, I take pen to paper and love to write. It helps release many emotions that I may hold inside.

    Again, what a great story -- this woman is a true inspiration!

    ~Kirsten

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog 2: Friends & Classmates= Sanity

Hey, everybody! Today, I wanted to take a couple of minutes and talk about the importance of supportive and encouraging relationships in an adult learning environment. I'll be honest, sometimes I feel out of control, and like I'm being pulled in 100 separate directions. Every day I play the roles of mother, student, employee, significant other, daughter, friend, and sister. Many times I feel like my attention to one or more of those roles is slacking and needs some attention. That's a lot of hats to wear! Talking and commiserating  with my classmates who are in similar situations really eases my anxiety, and I think that the support and encouragement we bring to each other's lives is IMPERATIVE to our academic success, and emotional well being. That being said, if anyone ever needs a laugh, hug, shoulder, or an ear, I'm around! We're in this together, and I want us ALL to succeed!
Read more

Flipped Learning

Hey, everyone! So, we talked about Flipped Learning last Wednesday, and I WISH they would have adapted this concept when I was in middle and highs school! I've always been one that likes to teach myself the foundation of the material, and then ask questions if I have problems with the details. I HATED sitting in a class and having an instructor read slides off a Power Point, or read from a text. In grammar school and high school, I would tune out during lectures, and just read everything when I got home. That's just the way  I learned best. I think that Flipped Learning can be very beneficial because students can come to class with their questions at the ready. It can be very challenging for students who are given homework in a traditional model: they have questions, and there is no teacher there to answer them. Then they are forced to complete homework unsure if they are using the correct form or methods. They get confused, and just write whatever they can to complete the assi...
Read more

Technology: Positve and Negative Components

     There are several positive aspects to technology changing in society today. Students are able to access a plethora of information quickly and efficiently. Gone are the days where a student had to search books line by line to answer a single question. The lack of monotony keeps students engaged, and more willing to learn because the process is not so painstaking anymore. Also, students have more access to teachers: whether it be Twitter, YouTube, or other computer programs that offer tips or digital tutoring, students can receive the specific assistance they need. Changing technology also allows students access to their grades through student portals. In the past, grades were kept in written gradebooks and students did not always have access to them. Now, students can monitor grades on their own, and have a better understanding  of which area needs improvement.     Improvements in technology are beneficial to teachers as well. As global education is ev...
Read more