Lessons of true courage

   George Curtis has progressive Supranuclear Palsy. He has tremors, constant muscle pain and has lost the ability to speak as a result of paralysis of his vocal cords. He has had 61 surgeries in 61 years. Curtis could not attend his own mother’s funeral because an infection invaded his body. All are results of an incurable disease that will eventually take his life.
   While the disease has broken his body, it has not broken his spirit. Throughout the extraordinary hardships he has endured, George is still going. He is taking charge of his affliction rather than letting it take charge of him.
   The lesson we can take away from Curtis is that although we deal with situations that test us and push us to the breaking point, we cannot let them win over us. Regardless of whatever we face, we have to be proactive about situations rather than sit around moping about them.
  After losing the ability to paint, Henri Matisse channeled his creativity into cutouts rather than oil on canvas. Beethoven was deaf and composed some of the greatest symphonies ever known. Helen Keller lived for 87 years, blind and deaf since infancy. She ultimately learned to read and write.
    Yet, some still let minor setbacks ruin their whole mindset. Maybe they’re making excuses or maybe they’re just not as perseverant. Still they live their life without thinking about the big picture – it could be so much worse, but still you should soldier on.
  Be grateful for being of able body and mind. Keep a positive mental attitude. Live your life without hesitation, without fear and without giving up.