Super Heros

I met one of my heros at Costco this week. Her name is Meg Johnson. I first heard Meg speak at a Seagull Book Conference a few years ago. She was very charismatic and up beat. She shared the story of how she became a paraplegic in 2008. I was touched and moved by everything she said but especially about a moment that happened shortly after she became paralyzed.

Meg said she was laying in bed unable to move anything but her eyes. She was crying because of her predicament. While she was crying she decided to begin expressing love for everything she saw. After she began doing this her tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy. Nothing in her life, situation or experiences had changed except for her perspective. How she decided to look at her life was the only thing that changed. And it was that one seamingly small thing that made all the difference in how she thought and felt.

As someone who has suffered through depression, you often feel helpless and powerless to change the painful experiences you are having. Meg's words gave me a new understanding and perspective. She was an example of it doesn't matter the experience, we always have a choice about what we think and feel and what our focus is going to be. Your situation is never hopeless and you always have a choice. You may not have control over the experiences in your life but you do have control over what you will think and feel about them.

As I had the opportunity to speak with Meg, which was way cool and totally made my day, I was able to thank her for being one of my heros. It wasn't because of her super powers, which she has many, but what made her a super hero was that she choose to do something great in the face of great opposition. She was hurt and in pain and she choose to love and live anyway. What can make a better super hero than that?

Meg is a motivational speaker and author. She has talks on CD and books. You can find them at Seagull Book and Desseret Book. She also has a website www.megjohnsonspeaks.com. They have also made a movie about her experience in becoming a paraplegic. You can check it out here: http://megjohnsonspeaks.com/2015/02/falling-full-movie/.

Have fun falling in love with all of the humor and insightful wisdom Meg has to share. I know you'll love her and her messages as much as I do.