Now I’m not a scientist or scholar and can’t claim to have the foggiest idea of what the late Stephan Hawking’s scientific contribution completely means to the world, however, as I watched the broadcasted tributes to this man I can’t help but be in awe. Upon seeing this man’s picture alone, one would right away know that his life was not an easy one and that he faced more than a few challenges throughout his life. Despite those obvious challenges, never mind those that we can’t even pretend to understand, he accomplished great things. As I watched the video dedicated to Mr. Hawking, I found myself all the more grateful for the blessings I have; the working limbs, my ability to speak without assistance, the ability to walk, run and hug those I love and so many more.
On top of the reminder of how much I have to be grateful for, the bigger lesson this week has been that I can’t only want to, need to or intend to change, I need to act. The meeting of goals I have set for myself or the place I want to be in my life will not just magically happen; I need to choose to follow those intentions with actions.
In each of our lifetimes we are going to encounter moments that we feel ‘we can’t’ or ‘it’s impossible” but it’s going to be in these moments that we choose to take action, that our journey will become an extraordinary one. It won’t always be easy; the things in life that are, rarely are the ones that mean the most to us. Taking that first step and continuing to work towards our goals and to face the challenges that stand in our way, we will not only dig ourselves out of the holes we may find ourselves in but may inspire and motivate others along the way. It is a shame that so many of us are blind as to our contributions and to what we are truly capable of, we limit ourselves and deprive the world of what we have to offer. So I challenge each one of us to take action and go after the lives we want, fill the world with extraordinariness.
Alana Regier