Bring yourself back to life

Today’s blog is dedicated to a force beyond many – a woman by the name of Jessica Webster.

If you were listening to Highveld this morning, you would have heard about Jess and her plight - thanks to her sister Bryony.

Jess was in an armed robbery when she was in her early 20s and a gunshot wound left her paralysed. But she refused to give up. She made it clear to herself and the world that she was not going to live her life in a wheelchair. Her sheer determination and belief in herself ensured that she is now able to walk today.

I haven’t seen Jess for a while, but today’s broadcast reminded me of her infinite power. Imagine if we all had the ability and confidence to stare life boldly in the eye and summon the courage to say NO! Every morsel of Jess’ make-up believes that she will walk again and so far, she has proved that she knows best! By standing up for what she believes in, she has made it happen.

Instead of accepting her fate as forecasted by doctors, she stopped listening to everyone else and tuned into her little voice inside. The voice that whispered to her every day that she COULD get out of bed, that she COULD face the world and that she WOULD walk.

We all have those times where the universe feels like it’s closing in on us, where every day feels like a battle and happiness seems like this intangible star, floating further and further away from our grasp. It’s times like that when we need to learn to be like Jess – to stand up, tune in to our inner wisdom and gallantly shout NO.

The next time you find yourself being led by the opinions of others or doing something you would rather not do, take a deep breath and simply say no. Saying no does not mean that you are unwilling to compromise or give to others, it simply means you are allowing yourself to be free to choose the life you want for yourself.

Jess did not choose what happened to her, but she did choose HOW she would let it affect her life. She chose to be positive, she chose to be brave, she chose to fight. And her fight was all about taking control of her circumstances – being the survivor, not the victim and not allowing anyone else to tell her otherwise.

So, if you feel like life is running you as opposed to you being in the driving seat, stop complaining and start taking charge. Only you can stop you from becoming what you want to be. Nobody can take away your power. Nobody can stop you from being a champion. You are the one who decides. You are the one who can turn your life around. And you can do it right now.

To Jess – thank you for making me believe that anything is possible. Hearing you on the radio this morning has brought me back to life – a life that I am going to take charge of!

FYI - Not only is Jess a motivational force, she is also an astounding artist. To see some of her work, have a look at http://www.jessicawebster.co.za/

Everyone, let's go forth and conquer. The world is ours for the taking!