Changing Public Perception

If you want to change the way people look at something, you have to inspire them to step out of their comfort zones to see a different perspective.

People like to 'pigeon hole' or categorize people so they can file them away in their brain for easy reference at a later date. It makes things simpler than trying to remember each unique detail of every individual. Grouping specific types of people together with similar characteristics does help us sort through the many bits of information we confront each day, but it can also cause unfortunate filing errors that keep us from realizing important details.

Getting a person to throw out those nice, comfortable files is not an easy thing to do. You have to convince them that they've made a filing error, persuade them to throw out the erroneous file, and challenge them to create a whole new filing system altogether. 

When I sustained my spinal cord injury in 1980 at the age of 12, I got the impression that I was expected to lie back and let the world take care of me for the rest of my life. Such an empty existence was not appealing to my young self, but I struggled for years to develop a strategy that would help me discover the world and all it had to offer me so I could show the world what I had to offer it.

My life offers visible proof of how significantly underestimated people with with spinal cord injuries can be.

As I matured, I unintentionally developed a life strategy that only writing my novel IMPACT has brought to my attention through hindsight. The strategy consisted of five basic elements: acceptance, self-discovery, goals, action, and self-recognition.  

I've educated thousands of people by opening the channels of candid communication to challenge the negative things others think about people living with spinal cord injuries, inspire them to think differently and persuade them to see the benefit of never underestimating the human spirit. 

You can do that, too.