How This Photo Changed My Perspective About My Disability

Sometimes, all it takes is a tiny shift in perspective to see something familiar in a totally new light. – Dan Brown

When looking at this picture, what do you see? I’ll be honest, when I first looked at this image, I had no clue what this was. Is it a brain? Is it a piece of popcorn? No. This, my friends, is a walnut.

You see how difficult it can be to make sense of things when you are looking at them really close? The same thing is true in life. Sometimes it can be difficult to understand why we are faced with adversity, but the truth is, I do not believe we are always meant to know the reasons that lie within our challenges. There have been many times throughout my journey where I have felt as though having cerebral palsy was not fair, but this was because I had to get a new perspective.

Because of my condition, I deal with limited mobility due to tight muscles, pain and misconceptions about my abilities every single day. However, because of my experiences, I have learned the importance of having patience, not only with my body, but with those around me as well. I have learned how to improvise. I have learned to celebrate and appreciate every victory and accomplishment, no matter how big or small it is. It has taught me perseverance and the importance of not giving up, because if you believe, anything is possible. Because of my
experiences, I have learned the most powerful force on the planet is love.

I never would have realized all of these things had I not chosen to look beyond my cerebral palsy. I had to refrain from looking at it close up, and expand my perspective by taking a few steps back to see the bigger picture. Although I still struggle with this sometimes, I have so much to be thankful for; like the life I discovered once I was able to look at my challenges in a new light.

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Photos supplied by contributor.