The promise “It’s never too late to find your way out of a hopeless place” as voiced by Ingrid Peschke in her January 27th MetroWest Daily News article seems timely now as we see hints of the approaching Spring in Kansas – which always seems to include a promise of new beginnings and hope. The challenges we face are certainly not confined to a season and can, for some, seem to run season after season. And that is when we might find encouragement in another’s victory. The excerpt below includes one such victory and the full article the practical steps that turned a “hopeless” situation around. So please enjoy the excerpt then follow the link below it to the entire article.
I recently watched a video circulating on my Facebook feed that featured a veteran Gulf War paratrooper’s inspiring transformation. He’d jumped from a plane too many times and his repeated landings had taken a toll on his back and knees. After several operations, he walked on crutches and gained a lot of weight. He couldn’t exercise anymore. For 15 years his doctors told him he would never walk unassisted again. He accepted this as fact.
Yet, despite his dire diagnosis and the prospect of living an inactive life, something within him began to fight back. He found an exercise program and someone who was willing to help him and he started to make a little progress each day. After 10 months of steady work, he lost the excess weight, took his first steps without crutches, and was able to run again.
His son chronicled his journey and shared it on social media where it spread. His father’s message: “They were wrong. Never give up.”
On the surface it looks like the exercise program deserves most of the credit for this man’s transformation. But his strength to fight dire predictions and continue forward against the odds seems to me to come from a different source.