I have spent an exorbitant amount of time, energy, and money studying what it takes to live out an amazing life. I read books, attend conferences, and try to learn how I can achieve amazing success despite my disability.

There have been times when I blamed all my stress on my disability. In the past, I have started thousands of sentences with the phrase if I were not disabled…. That action does not empower me. It also provided many negative emotions and created feelings of victimhood.

With the pursuit of amazing success can come additional stressors and overwhelming factors. In fact, most of the challenges in my life are not because of my disability per se. They are because of the fact that I am going after an amazing life. I chose the challenges of becoming a speaker, writing a book, becoming a husband, and becoming a father.  My job is to enjoy my life and take on the challenges in a positive way.

Most people in the U.S. don’t have $400.00 in case of an emergency. Having an emergency is stressful for anyone. Nobody likes an unexpected bill. If two people have the same emergency, and the first person has a couple grand saved up and the second person has to beg, borrow, and give plasma for the money, the first person sees the emergency as a minor setback while the second person sees the stress as a catastrophic Death Con 5 ordeal.

The choices in the past lead to the life that you have now. The choices that you have to make now lead to the life that you will lead. Most of the responsibility for your life is on you. The choices that you make impact whether or not you become amazing.

The goal is not to avoid stressors. The goal is to choose the stressors that will get you to where you want to go. Furthermore, it’s about learning how to deal with stress in a positive way. Every choice has its own challenges. These challenges can be uncomfortable.

If you want an amazing life, then you have to know how to deal with feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

Another part of stress and being overwhelmed is the way, and with whom, we interact. This can be professional or personal. We all have people in our lives who make us feel stressed or overwhelmed. You chose to stay in that toxic environment at work. You choose to go out to dinner with the friend who complains about everything.  You choose to not confront someone who irritates you. You choose to respond to your friend who needs you right away. You choose to allow your children to walk all over you. Not having positive relationships can hinder you on your path to amazing.  Likewise, having encouraging people can lead to an amazing life.

When I started my professional career, I used to put up with people just because they were there. Now, everyone who I’m with needs to inspire me. This inspiration can be as simple as meeting deadlines or being excited to break bread with them. I love just hanging out with the people who inspire me.

It’s challenging not to point at stressors and say it is what it is. It’s easy for me to be stressed out and overwhelmed by my disability. These feelings are natural and will always be part of your climb to amazing success. The important thing is to not ignore these feelings. The important part is to understand how your choices lead to the life that you have, how to make choices that lead to amazing success, and creating an environment where you can both make your lives more seamless and deal with challenges.

Summary:

On the road to amazing success, there will always be components that overwhelm or stress you. It is about how you manage these scenarios that define how you achieve your success.