Finding My Glory

http://vimeo.com/17150524

A friend posted the above video to me a couple weeks back and it really made an impact on me.  It's a beautiful short film called "The Butterfly Circus" about a man with no arms and no legs who was made to be part of a sideshow freak show in a circus until he met up with a man who was the ringmaster of another circus who told him there was nothing wrong with him.  He ended up traveling with that new ringmaster's circus, the Butterfly Circus, and no one would help him do anything until one day the ringmaster told him something very valuable and that was, "the greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph."  I struggle so everyday but when I heard him say that it made me feel like there was some glory to be had in all of this and because of the great struggle I go through the more glorious that triumph will be, just like he said.  I don't know what glory can come out of all of this.  The one thing I wanted to do most in this world may not be there for my taking anymore.  There are some days where I still believe it but most days I see it as a long distance wish and no more a dream of a career.  So what glory is there in all this struggle for me?

Then I also think of Oscar Pistorius.  Oscara Pistorius was born with fibular hemimelia in both his legs, which is congenital absence of the fibula.  At 11 months old, his legs were amputated halfway between his knees and ankles.  Despite this, he took part in all kinds of sporting activities growing up in school until he found running and "never looked back."  You will all know Oscar as the "blade runner" in this year's Olympics and you have all no doubt found him awe inspiring.  But there is something even more inspiring about him to people who are disabled or who have been through a trauma.  His incredible attitude and positivity cannot be touched and his heart is so big.  He does not and never has let his "disabiltiy" get in his way nor has he even looked at his disability as a disability.  He has been quoted very often saying, "You are not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."  I think about that and wonder what abilities I have that make me able.  But I also look at him and think what an amazing young man he is and how I need to find ways to be great and to teach others of what I've been through and learned.

I am currently undergoing a struggle, a great struggle that I cannot tell you about.  Only few people know about it.  It is a great struggle regarding weight loss and the way back to being strong and fit again.  It has challenged me and challenged me to the point of tears sometimes but I have gotten through it so far.  It reminds me of the great commercial that has been airing during the Olympics, "Find Your Greatness."  This struggle I have been going through is a start to finding my greatness again.  Like he says in that short film I gave you the link to and I think you should definitely watch, "the greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph."  And from Oscar, I need to focus more on what I am able than the disabilities I have.  Perhaps I will find my glory there.