Showering Is An Accomplishment

In a recent post I spoke about finding inspiration. Finding it because I’m looking for it. I look for inspiration every day. It’s no secret 2020 has been a a shit show of epic proportions for many reasons. In speaking with people and general observation, it has been even harder to maintain a positive mindset or even conjure up a modicum of inspiration.

 Yesterday, I learned the story of Travis Roy. How I have not heard of him prior to yesterday is beyond me, but nonetheless it is a story of so many facets, but none more than inspiration.

 To briefly summarize, Travis Roy was a promising hockey player, who 11 seconds into his first shift in a Boston University hockey game, hit the boards hard and it left him paralyzed from the neck down.

 He turned that incomprehensible tragedy into The Travis Roy Foundation which has gone on to raise millions of dollars towards supporting spinal cord injury survivors. The foundation has raised more than $9 million — with more than $4.7 million going to research grants and the other half to provide equipment for those with spinal cord injuries.

Sadly, Roy passed away yesterday at the age of 45. 

In my quick research of this remarkable human being, I would argue that Roy did more in his 45 years than most do in a lifetime. While his life certainly was cut far too short, the number of people he reached and impacted through what was an unspeakable tragedy is immeasurable. What a legacy.

 I have tried in the last few years when I am met with adversity, to ask myself, what is the lesson? What is this trying to teach me? In my experience, life’s obstacles are a lot easier to tackle if you look at them from a vantage point of how you can personally grow from them, rather than sit in your own shit and have a pity party. Have I had moments of sitting in my own shit and having a pity party? Of course.

I’m sure there were moments where Roy did too, but clearly he didn’t stay there.

It is no secret 2020 has been the ultimate year of adversity. I also subscribe to the thought process of, it is a lot easier to look back down the mountain to see how far you have come than to look up to see how far you have to go. Focus on what you have accomplished this year. And the word “accomplishment” is overstated. Some days, I look at the fact that I showered as an “accomplishment” – no joke.

We are certainly not all Travis Roys, but we could be. I don’t use his story to minimize anyone’s own problems, but rather to use his story to give perspective on changing the narrative when you’re met with something that is seemingly insurmountable. Like showering.