Have you ever stopped to think about all the things you’re able to do?
Or do you spend more time thinking about the things you’re not able to do?
Riding up the elevator this morning to my apartment, I was carrying a 25 lb box of nutritional supplements that Fed Ex had safely imported for me from the United States.
There was an older lady who was wheeling her small portable grocery cart who hopped in with me. Seeing me holding the box, she told me that I should rest it against the metal railing to make it easier.
For me, the 25 lbs box wasn’t what I’d consider heavy. I had no problems carrying the parcel for the 6 or so minutes that it took to get from my car in the underground parking to my place 23 stories up.
But what she said got me thinking.
How many times in my life had I tried to make physical tasks easier when I should have relished the challenge of making them harder?
How many times had I taken the escalator or elevator when I should have taken the stairs?
How many times had I circled the parking lot looking for that money spot right by the entrance?
How many times had I taken the easy road when I could have gone off the beaten path?
In my line of work I’ve had the fortune of interacting with some of the strongest people out there. I’m not talking just physically strong, but mentally tough. These are the people who have had the fortitude to face and overcome incredible challenges and hurdles, the people who have had to relearn how to walk, relearn how to feed themselves, relearn life. These are the people that had their movement, among other things, taken from them, through error, accident or misfortune.
The ones who got it back, didn’t take it for granted after.
Funny how it takes losing something so precious before your realize how much it’s worth.
How many times had I taken for granted what I am able to do?
What do you take for granted?
Wishing you and yours a prosperous and movement filled 2009.
Dev Chengkalath
