Giving No Excuse For Fear Of Failure

The true life story of this man is told to challenge you. He was born with no arms and no hands. As he grew older, he initially developed bitterness but later he changed this attitude, not only to accept his condition but to adapt. That was the only right choice to make. Of course, no human efforts, physically or scientifically, could have created arms and hands for him that will function normally. Rather, he, on his own created a new attitude to his handicap. He started asking himself what directions he could go and what possibilities  are available for him to live on and fulfilled. He never allowed his condition of armlessness to confine him into a small existence. He first overcame the spirit of rejection. Then he refused to brood over what he could not change and rather contemplated on what he could do. What excuses he could have made created real opportunities in his life and endeavors. Realizing that without pain, there will be no gain, he developed his innate potentialities. He then began to do what he initially thought was painful.

However, his mother played a remarkable role in his life. It is called "tough love", and it worked. She knew J.F.  Must learn to do what he should do himself. She knew that he could not continue to live dependent on others for life. One day, she dared to push him into the bath and locked the door behind, no longer to be assisted by and of his siblings. Poor J.F. felt cheated and unloved. Thank God for that wonderful day when he gave no excuse for not washing himself. He determined there and then to help himself. With pain, tears and all courage and determination he threw a feat - he washed himself independently, but after long and much struggle. Thereafter, he learnt other skills. He learnt how to wear his wrist watch on his ankle, trained his toes to hold the pen to write. He trained his shoulders to be a support to his toes to pick needed things from the shelf in the Super into his shopping basket. He learnt to dress up using his teeth, shoulders and toes to do what his hands could have done. He could draw his tea or coffee, fry egg for his breakfast etc. on his own. With the regular training he gave these other parts of his body, he became accustomed to doing things on his own, not depending on his siblings or parents. He gave himself no excuse.

We should learn that when you realize your condition and you begin to accept the challenge you are in to finding out ways to adapt to condition. You will overcome the evil of making excuses in life. The story of this man is very instructive to everyone. He later became a popular person and bagged many high University degrees. He became resourceful and so rich in a seemingly worthless situation. He is a challenge to everyone today, teaching us that there is ability in disability.

Many disabled young men/women have gone into different higher institutions of learning and graduated with excellent grades. Someone once told me about a  lady who suffered polio from infancy and since then had been on wheelchair, but she never allowed that to deter her from making progress in life. She went ahead to study law and came out with second class upper division. Even presently, as you are still busy searching for one excuse or the other, a great many others like her are wheeling themselves in out of lecture halls, libraries and examination halls, getting ready to graduate and bless the world with their talents and knowledge. Why sit you idle? Arise, and get something done! You have no excuse!