Sometimes we meet people who are different from us. Then there are those who are very different. But what about those who are exceptionally different?
The most unexpected people can sometimes inspire us to climb higher mountains, dream bigger dreams and break barriers that we set for ourselves because we thought we could not.
For a start, let us have a look at savants. This is an excerpt from Wikipedia :
Savant syndrome, sometimes abbreviated as savantism, is not a recognized medical diagnosis, but researcher Darold Treffert defines it as a rare condition in which persons with developmental disorders(including autism spectrum disorders) have one or more areas of expertise, ability or brilliance that are in contrast with the individual's overall limitations. Treffert says the condition can be genetic, but can also be acquired, and coexists with other developmental disabilities "such as mental retardation or brain injury or disease that occurs before (pre-natal) during (peri-natal) or after birth (post-natal), or even later in childhood or adult life."
Individuals with the syndrome are often nicknamed savants. This can be a source of confusion since a savant can also mean a person of learning, especially one of great knowledge in a particular subject. The terms idiot savant or autistic savant are also used. "Idiot" was used by the medical profession in the late 19th and early 20th century to refer to a person whose IQ was less than 20, although that usage has now given way to "profound mental retardation"; the term idiot savant is no longer regarded as a valid medical term.
Ok. Back to business. Being a musician and music lover myself, it would not at all surprise you to discover that the first savant I would like to introduce to you is none other than Derek Paravicini - The Musical Genius.
Derek, now in his mid twenties, was born premature, at 25 weeks, and weighing just over half a kilogram. As a result of the oxygen therapy required to save his life, Derek lost his sight, and his development was affected too. It later became apparent that he had severe learning difficulties. However, he soon acquired a fascination for music and sound, and, by the age of four, had taught himself to play a large number of pieces on the piano, of some melodic and harmonic complexity (such as 'Smoke Gets in your Eyes'). Almost inevitably, with no visual models to guide him, his technique was chaotic, and even his elbows would frequently be pressed into service, as he strove to reach intervals beyond the span of his tiny hands!
Click play in the following video clip and discover for yourself...Derek Paravicini. Be inspired!
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Thanks to Pauline who sent these to me via e-mail.
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.
It is easier to fight for principles than to live up to them.
A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.
Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.
I can resist everything except temptation.
It's a great satisfaction knowing that for a brief point in time you made a difference.
The fellow who never makes a mistake takes his orders from one who does.
A bird in the hand is safer than one overhead.
Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen.
If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit.
Never insult an alligator until after you have crossed the river.
There are three faithful friends an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.
Men marry women with the hope they will never change. Women marry men with the hope they will change. Invariably they are both disappointed.
The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it.
Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn't have to experience it.
Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.
Parents can tell but never teach, unless they practice what they preach.
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
You cannot get to the top by sitting on your bottom.
Man who sneezes without hanky takes matters into his own hands.
So I'm talking to a friend of mine and I'm asking him what he had been up to over the weekend. So you guys know... about a week prior to having this conversation, I had given him a great book about fear and positive thinking from one of my mentors.
My friend says, " I have a great story for you Elise!" and the story goes something like this...
My friend has a 4-year-old daughter and as any parent, he is very protective of her. He was at the park with his daughter and she was about to climb up a very high net climber. He immediately ran to her to stop her and say, "NO!! Don't go up there! It's too dangerous!!"
But then, just as he is about to talk to her, he remembered what he had learnt whilst reading the book. And instead of telling her no, he changed it to, " Be careful as you climb up. Watch your step ok? I'll be right here."
He then told me that she had climbed up the net climber and nothing had happened. She was safe, she was happy and there was no danger.
So what's the moral of the story?
A child does not see difficulties as adults do. Children think a lot more positive and with a better attitude than we do!
Why was it that my friend ran up to his daughter when she was going to climb up the net climber? Because as adults, we see the difficulties first. We go into panic mode without reason over the tiniest little things in life. His daughter did not see that. She just saw this fun climber and wanted to go up on it. It was not a difficulty; it was a fun challenge she wanted to do.
She went on it and nothing happened. She was safe, she was smiling.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to think like a child once in a while, when we are dealing with daily challenges? People like myself, Entrepreneurs, fall flat on the floor a lot of times! But guess what? We get up again!
I always tell people I'm like a bouncy punching boxing ball., you guys know the one I'm talking about! That little upright boxing punching ball that you can punch as hard as you want but it always bounces back up!! That punching ball has a spring that keeps it coming back up no matter what. It's always thinking positive, if you know what I mean.
That is the way I like to see life. Some people see the glass half empty,others see it half full and I see it FULL; half full of water and half full or air!!
It is all down to our way of thinking, and we can all learn to think more positively. Remember in part one, when I said you cannot change what you did 10 minutes ago, 1 minute ago, 10 seconds ago? Well you can't!
But what you CAN do is change what you do and how you think as of today, as of right now, this minute.
Think more like a child every day! And I do not mean act childish! I mean take the part of the children that have no fear, the part that sees everything as a fun challenge.
How many times as a kid did you fall off the bicycle whilst you were learning how to ride it? Quite a few times I assume... and did that stop you from getting on it again and again until you were able to ride it alone? Of course not!!
How many times as a kid did you cry because you hurt yourself when you were learning how to rollerblade? And how long did that cry last? 15 seconds? 20 secs? It was not long! Within 5 minutes you had a band-aid on and you were up trying again!
How many times did you attempt to get up when learning to walk after a fall? Thousands!!! You didn't stop trying because you couldn't walk the first time you tried to stand up!
Bottom line is this: Since we were babies, we've encountered challenges. But as we get older, we change the way we think and the way we react to those challenges.
Make today, the day that changes the rest of your life.
Make today the day that you take control of your life, your business, your relationship, your faith.... anything that you want!!
Write those goals down and start living again with a better attitude!
Make it a great day y'all!!
Written by Elise Quevedo
Elise is a Motivational Speaker and Life Coach who understands how easily it is to let people around you influence the way you think, behave and act. Personal Development is a must for anyone wanting to get to the next level. A positive mental attitude is something we can all work towards to help us achieve our goals. Visit her website at : http://kickassattitude.com
*Please note that blogger has not been updating my posts in blogrolls. I have posted many other posts since I put up this one. Please check in the left column for the latest posts. Sorry for the inconvenience caused. If the problem does not resolve within a week, I will be migrating to wordpress where I already run four blogs. I will update you as to the url later. Thanks for coming by.
It is just past midnight now. I should be asleep but I cannot because so many things are going through my mind. It has been such a tough day and I know that falling asleep will even be tougher.
Some of you might know that I have been having problems with my feedburner and I know for sure that my phone bill will sky rocket because I called so many people to seek their expert guidance and opinion and assistance. I am deeply touched that my first blogger buddy, Walksi of myAsylum has never let me down and has always injected his calm unwavering sense of serenity into my soul to lower my pressure, a few other friends and in particular Vin whom I do not know but responded a few times to my emails.
I find that lately, in particular the last three months, I have become more and more skeptical about life, friends and people in general. I cannot believe what a terrible day it has been today and I honestly pray that tomorrow will be a better day. It is genuine friends who make me have hope in life and in mankind while others destroy every pillar of hope or friendship that I built or tried to build in the past.
It may not be true for you but for me, I find genuine friends really really rare, hard to find and at this point of time, I am thankful for those who have shown that indeed they are real by the words they have said to me, the kindness shown to me, the comments they have left here and I cannot begin to tell you all how those comments blog readers have left in my blog mean the world to me.
Even though I have never met many of these blog readers such as Angela, Antares, Uncle John, Tony, CK Saw, Dr. Saravanan, Tiger, brother James, Yeng Keen, Chahya, Datin Mamasita, Kak Ezza and many others (including you who are reading this post now), I am touched that despite your busy schedules, you all take the time to read my musings and postings. In a world that is so artificial and plastic, where many try to pretend to be who they are not, where lies mask their true feelings or when anger reveals their real selves, I am glad that at a point of time in my life when I have almost lost faith in the word friendship, I made these friends through blogging and they have shown me that yes, there are still real people in these world while the others around turn out to be as hollow as bamboo..
Thanks a lot, dear blog readers, blogger buddies and friends...
It is very difficult for me to say what I feel in my heart. But I am saying it now because I know this will not be visible to many people and yet I have to unload it.
Why are people so cruel?
Why are people so fake, selfish and proud?
Why is it so difficult for some to say 'sorry' or to receive acts of love and kindness?
Why do people try to be what they are not, who they are not and really hide behind masks or facades etc?
Why are some people so nice and call themselves friends one day and then out of the blue disappear into thin air as thought they were some phantom from outer space?
Why do some love to be nurtured but never want to nurture others when they are in need?
Why are some who lack nurturing and want to be nurtured do not want any nurturing from people who care for them?
Most of all, why do some like to hurt others? Ah - the questions are unending.
I notice that these days, one may do a lot of good deeds/favors to another and all that will be forgotten in the twinkling of an eye if his/her selfish need is not met. This evening a lady whom I have known for 8 years scolded me for something that her daughter did not do. And that hurt so bad. Real bad, especially since I put in 8 years of my life enriching the lives of her kids.
The past eight months alone I have seen how rich and wealthy people throw their weight around me and I am truly sick and tired of all this show. I don't care how much money they have or who they know. Material wealth does not matter to me at all. It is by my choice that I choose to live a life of simplicity and not to chase after wealth or materialism. I can live without many material stuff (except laptop) but cannot live with hypocrisy or insincerity.
Why can't people just be real, just be a bit kinder and be honest and sincere in their dealings with others?
Frankly, between people whom I know in the real world and my regular blog readers and blogger buddies, I can safely say that those in cyberspace are kinder and more real. I know who they are from the words they write in their blogs, in their emails to me, in the comments they leave in my blog and all are consistent.
I am tired. I am so so so tired of being kind, being helpful and being accommodating. I cannot believe how I have changed and am ever so super ultra mega cautious until I am so disillusioned about human relations.
Sigh.
I am at the point of time where I have made choices and decisions which are for my own good. Life is difficult and there comes a time when we have to take stock of our lives and to move on...and once again, I am moving on.
It takes hiccups for us to stop short and to take a hard look at life, at ourselves, at people and to realize many things which we may choose not to see...
But now I do...and I have redefined boundaries...and I am really moving on. I will not waste my time on people who don't appreciate me or those who are not sincere with me. I will not sweat over this because it is not my loss but theirs. And as I move on, I thank God for those of you who have stuck with me through thick and thin...and who have been reading my blog and especially those of you who have been sharing your comments with me. I have never tried to be someone that I am not. But it is very difficult to be real or to be myself in this very cruel world.
Sigh....such are the complexities of life....
