MY JOU EY OF EXCELLENCE

I wasn’t aware that I was going anywhere until, I decided to look back and see from where I’d come. For over 39 years, I have been recovering from a severe brain stem injury that I sustained while I was a student. From being a patient who was on life-support, in a neurosurgery intensive care unit in A

Arbor, to the Rehabilitation Institute in Detroit, I have continued to crawl out from some horrendous circumstances, one step at a time.

Immediately after my trauma, I needed to learn how to walk, talk, think, and take care of my most basic needs. If I considered the magnitude of what I had to accomplish, I would have given up. But I didn’t think that way. I did not focus on long-term goals. Rather, I chose to concentrate on things that I could accomplish immediately. I built one success upon another. I have continued to very gently push myself toward excellence.

After returning to undergraduate school at the University of Michigan, I gradually began to re- learn how to reintegrate into the mainstream by simply doing it. Because I didn’t know what rehabilitation professionals might have said I couldn’t do, I went ahead and did. After my brain injury, I completed college and attended graduate school in social work, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

My employment history is very short. I worked briefly in two alcohol treatment programs before getting fired and giving-up. I then applied for Social Security Disability benefits. Just because I was now considered 100% disabled by the federal government, I did not quit trying to attain goals. I did what I what I was able to do. I could establish relationships and talk with anyone.

I found a position that I could perform at a local head injury support group meeting. I could be a brain injured peer counselor & help others to reintegrate into the mainstream, because I had done that. My experiences and education would only enhance my credibility.

After reading a book that introduced me to coaching, Therapist as Life Coach, Transforming Your Practice, I realized that was in fact what I had been doing. I then chose to further my knowledge of coaching, by registering as a student at the International Coaching Academy.

Since that time, I have participated in another student’s Mind to Succeed program. After that experience, I have been able to identify & achieve goals that I previously did not consider. The lessons taught in the Silva Life System were obviously at the root of this program. I’m very pleased with myself and I see no reason to stop trying to excel.

Am I pursing excellence? I honestly don’t think in those terms. I simply so what I have always done since I was injured. I try to do a little better today, tha
I did yesterday in all areas of my life. I’m better at some skills than others. I’ve learned that I must be interdependent with those in my environment and be grateful for all my privileges. When I do that, I feel good about myself. When I feel good about myself, I can contribute to the global community.

For more information, please visit: www.survivoracceptance.com