I’ve always enjoyed quotes from famous people and philosophers. One of the people I enjoy most is Helen Keller. She provided the most amazing quotes, many of which have stuck with me through life.
For those who aren’t quite sure who Helen Keller is, she was an American author and lecturer who lived from 1880 until 1968. She lost her sight and hearing after a bout of illness when she was only 19 months old. She learned to communicate using “home signs”. Home signs are a communication system often developed by a deaf child in which gestures replace spoken words. It’s different than sign language in that it’s not universal, but rather made up by the deaf child in an effort to try to communicate with others. This was Helen Keller’s only form of communication until the age of seven when she was introduced to her first teacher, Anne Sullivan. Anne Sullivan worked extensively with Helen Keller and became a life-long companion.
Anne began teaching Helen how to communicate by spelling words into her hand, beginning with “d-o-l-l” for the doll that she had brought Helen as a present. From there, she learned how to spell other words until she had mastered the idea that there was a written word for every thing and every concept. Imagine how difficult this must have been because Helen was not only deaf, but also blind. With Anne’s help, Helen was able to attend school and eventually became the first deaf and blind person in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard.
The numerous quotes Helen left with us from her writings (she wrote 12 books and numerous articles) and speeches (yes, she eventually mastered speech although she was deaf), are quite profound. I believe that’s because she had to internalize every word and thought before saying it. Here are two of my favorite Helen Keller quotes:
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”
The most amazing part about Helen Keller’s life, in my opinion, is the fact that she had the drive to do all of this. Most deaf and blind children at that time were either placed in an institution or isolated from society. Either way, they received no assistance or education.
I can’t begin to imagine being both deaf and blind. Either would be bad, but both of them together is inconceivable. How terrible it must have been for Helen Keller to have had both of those senses taken away from her. Thankfully, her parents were wise enough to get her some help through Anne Sullivan. Anne used whatever senses Helen had remaining, including Helen’s drive to learn more, to teach her how to strive for more in life and to become the model for those with disabilities.
The lessons Helen leaves us is that we can do more if we put our mind to it. Helen overcame her disabilities to become a beacon for others and to inspire people to become the best they can possibly be. She teaches us that moping about disabilities accomplishes nothing. Instead, they should inspire us to utilize the gifts and talents we have left inside of us.
I talk to people all the time who have Myasthenia Gravis. They are in various stages of the condition. Some are only mildly inconvenienced and some are afflicted to the point where breathing and mobility are affected. Here’s what I’ve learned. Regardless of their physical abilities, each still has an amazing mind and heart, both of which can be put to good use.
Imagine a person with severe MG symptoms making it difficult for them to walk or even breathe, but who continues to spread their love to others through their presence. Just being around that person inspires you to want to do more. You want to spend time with them because of the way they make you feel inside.
Now take the other scenario. Imagine a person who has allowed MG to take over, who is resentful of having MG, who complains about everything, who wallows in self-pity, who refuses to try to help themselves. Does that person inspire you? No. Do you really want to be around them? Absolutely not.
So, if you have Myasthenia Gravis, how can you be more like the first example? Let me respond by providing another Helen Keller quote:
“What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me.”
To become the first example, you have to find the love inside of you. You have to draw on that love and make it the drive you use to inspire others.
Did you realize we were all born with love inside of us? Even a newborn baby has love for his/her mother immediately upon being born. He or she has already bonded as they have spent their entire life receiving nourishment and love from their mother. They now draw on that love and return it to their mother.
That inborn love never leaves us. It may become hidden at times. It may have become pushed back into a far corner of our hearts where it’s difficult to reach, but it’s still there. We just need to search for it, find it, pull it out, give it air to breathe, give it light to flourish, and let it shine on its own. That’s the way to turn a bad situation into a blessing. That’s the way to overcome disabilities. That’s the way to touch the lives of others.
Love. That’s what Helen Keller was referring to in her quote, “What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me.”
As a young child, we used to sing a little song. It was fun at the time, but now that I’m older, I understand it better and it takes on a different meaning:
“This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.”
Isn’t it time to let your light shine?
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