Conquering Challenges
Introduction :
Challenge-
'a call to try one's skill or strength; a demand to respond or identify
oneself.' Yes this is what this section is all about…. proving
your strengths and announcing your arrival…. rising above the adversities
and showing the world what you are made of.
This section
is written keeping in mind the disabled people- people who have a handicap:
physical or mental. Some purists out there might not like the words
used for the handicap people, but just by giving a different phrase
for their impairness the handicap people are not benefiting in any ways.
Instead of sitting in the comfort of their home and coining glamorous
and fashionable terms, these socialists would do better to do something
that would shape the careers of the disable people.
And all
you people who suffer from any disabilities- don't let others take pity
on you. After all those 'fighting-for-a-cause' are not perfect themselves.
The only difference is that, your imperfection is more visible than
theirs. So just accept your handicap and do what you believe in. the
history is full pf examples of individuals who have stood apart in what
they have done, despite of their disability.
Let us
share some inspiring stories.
Brilliance personified:
John
Nash:
John Nash was a mathematical genius who despite being struck by a disease
called schizophrenia, managed to win a Nobel Prize in economics for
his work 'Non-cooperative Games', written in 1950 when he was just 21
years young! In 1958 at the threshold of his career Nash was struck
by paranoid schizophrenia- a disease in which a person starts imagining
and seeing thing and people who are just an illusion. He lost his job
because of this illness and was virtually incapacitated by the disease
for the next two decades. The disease began to evaporate in 1970s and
he returned to what he loved doing the most- mathematics. Nash shared
the Nobel Prize in 1994 with John C. Harsanyi and Reinhard Selten for
what he described as "his most trivial work"
Helen
Keller:
Helen Adams Keller was born on 27 June 1880 in Tuscumbia, a small rural
town in Northwest Alabama, USA. The daughter of Captain Arthur Henley
Keller and Kate Adams Keller she was born with full sight and hearing.
But in February or 1882 when Helen was all of 19 months tragedy struck
and a mysterious illness took away her power of sight and hearing. Few
years later Helen met different people in connection with her handicap.
Among them, Anne Sullivan, who herself was partially blind decided to
teach Helen. By age 10, Helen had mastered Braille as well as the manual
alphabet and even learned to use the typewriter. By the time she was
16, Helen could speak well enough to go to preparatory school and to
college. In 1904 she graduated from Radcliffe College. She then dedicated
her life to improving the conditions of the blind and the deaf across
the world. She lectured on various topics and she became a symbol or
grit and determination not just for the blind and deaf, but also for
everyone all over the world.
Stephen
Hawking:
Stephen was born in 1942. He has been recognized as one of the greatest
physicist ever. He was an awkward schoolboy but he knew all the way
that he wanted to make a career in science. In 1958 he and his friend
built a primitive computer that actually worked. His knowledge about
his subject and his talent help him become the member of the Royal Society
at a remarkable age of 32. And in 1979, he was appointed Lucasian Professor
of Mathematics at Cambridge, the same job held by Sir Isaac Newton 300
years earlier. His discoveries about the black hole and the big bang
theory have certainly been hailed as one of the most important breakthrough
in science. All this considering the fact that he suffers from Lou Gehrig's
disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that affects muscle
control) for which he uses a wheelchair and speaks through a computer
and voice synthesizer.
Face
your weakness:
These real
life stories have inspired many. The courage and determination of these
super humans would put any so-called 'normal' person to shame. I bet
there would be thousands of such 'normal' people out there who would
love to be in the shoes of these great personalities. And in their stories
lie the answers to what you people who suffer from any kind of handicap
should as a career.
First of
all, and as said earlier, stop pitying on yourself. Then determine your
strengths- know for yourself what you are good at and pursue that as
your career. Yes, it is as simple as that. But one thing that you should
guard against is an obstacle. Don't get bogged down by obstacles. These
obstacles may be in form of people not recognizing your skills or failure
at certain steps. But as the old saying goes- 'winners never quit and
quitters never win.' Never stop believing in yourself. If you start
doubting your beliefs, you will start believing your doubts. Author
Paulo Coelho has famously proclaimed in his best selling novel, 'The
Alchemist': "if you want something badly, the whole world will
plot it to give it you". It means that if you pursue something
whole-heartedly and commit yourself to it, nothing in the world will
come in your path. But you need to be realistic. It is quite obvious
that a blind man cannot get a job of a pilot and dumb man cannot get
a job of a singer. So stop chasing dreams that are mere dreams. Rather
realize what you are good at and commit yourself to it. And success
shall follow.
An appeal
This is
for all you corporates and social activists. You can help in a great
way. And you don't have to go out of your way. We ask you just to treat
a disable person on par with others if his disability is not a hindrance.
Like if you have a job for a typist and among the contenders there is
a dumb person or a person who cannot walk, treat him on par with other
contenders. Give him an equal chance for the job. But what is worse
is having pity on them and giving them a petty job. Even they have self-respect.
And they deserve a fair chance. Afterall, how many of your senses do
you use at a time? Remember there is no limit or reach to whom or when
handicap may strike. It can happen anytime, anywhere and certainly to
anyone. But that does not mean that the person who was brilliant earlier
will not remain so after the handicap. We have seen actual life case
studies. Infact, I would go a step ahead and claim that a person who
has lost one of his senses is stronger than the others where the remaining
senses are concerned. Like a blind man will have better sense of smell
and hearing than one with a normal vision. It does not require a Jesus
Christ to be fair to the handicap people, but one will definitely be
a step closer to sainthood!
Share
your experiences:
If you
are suffering from any disability and have something to share with the
world about your achievements or any incident in which you have been
involved, write to u. we will not only give you a platform to showcase
your strengths but it will also serve as an inspiration to others. Even
if you do not have any handicap but have come across any incidents that
might encourage the less abled, please share them with us. Who knows,
there might be someone out there willing to give direction to the careers
of the disabled.
