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No one wants to be disabled. Just ask any able-bodied person How they feel about being confined to a wheelchair and all will express deep revulsion to the idea. We all know of people who have had amazing lives after some tragedy that confined them to a wheelchair. We know it is possible to have a better life in a wheelchair than many have with two good legs. Everybody wishes they had the talent of Stephen Hawking. But nobody wants to be Stephen Hawking.
While no one volunteers for a lifelong disability, none of us are safe. It can happen to any of us. That is why it is important to gain the right perspective on the matter before it becomes your reality.
For some, disability is chronic pain. They may have all of their body parts more or less in a functional state, yet still, be sidelined by common but persistent pain. There are no cures for pain. A properly functioning body is going to have pain when necessary. There are only treatments to help decrease it when it is excessive or chronic.
You can sometimes find an effective treatment in the right CBD product bundle. Pain specialists often prescribe CBD oil for chronic joint pain instead of invasive and reconstructive surgeries. Many patients report marked improvement, enough so that they can get back into a normal routine. Not all disabilities can be treated so easily. Here is what you need to know when the disabling factor does not go away:
Savant Syndrome
Once in a rare while. Something like superpowers accompanies an injury. It is as if the potential for greatness was always there, but we have to be hit on the head hard enough, and in just the right way to manifest those abilities.
Savant Syndrome is a real thing that reads more like a Marvel comic. After suffering accidents like being struck by lightning or being struck in the head by a baseball as in the case of Orlando L. Serrell, one can perform complex calculations instantly. In another instance, a man gained the ability of making detailed, 3D models of animals he had only seen for a few seconds.
These might not sound like impressive superpowers. Indeed, there have been no reports of people being able to fly, repel bullets, or run faster than a locomotive. But the real-life abilities of accidental savants are impressive, and have given many a better life than they had before the injury.
The Do-over
Innumerable people are stuck in deadens jobs they wish they could escape. They want to try something different, but are afraid of taking the risk. Suffering a disability is among the most immediate catalysts for inspiring change.
A construction worker who wants to be a computer programmer will probably not go all-in on the reeducation process until he can no longer do the job of construction. You don’t have to be a savant to have a passion and talent for music. That passion and talent can be easily cashed in by becoming a music teacher and passing your love of music on to others as someone did for you. An unexpected injury is often the gateway to the better life you always wanted, but were too afraid to try. As always, necessity proves to be the mother of invention.
Spend Time with the People You Love
One of the best things that can come from an unexpected disability is the opportunity to slow down, appreciate the small things, and spend more time with the people you love. This is good advice for everyone. You don’t have to wait till disability reminds you of how important other people are to you.
The most important thing to remember is that disability is not an end of life event. Some of the world’s greatest artists, teachers, builders, craftspeople, and world leaders have battled through disability to achieve greatness.
The other thing to remember is that none of us are under any obligation to achieve greatness. We would be doing well to achieve goodness. A less than fully functioning physical body is no impediment to that.
You don’t have to reach for the stars to make the world a brighter place for you and the people around you. Your better self awaits. And even unexpected disability cannot stand in the way of you achieving it. On some occasions, it can even be the thing that gets you there a little faster.
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This content is sponsored by Anne Davis.
Photo: Shutterstock