Connecting to your inner hero is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, you have to do things in the face of adversity and in some cases the adversity you face isn’t from people you don’t know, but it is from people that you know, like friends or family.

Their opinions, concerns and fears for what you do or want to do can definitely get in the way!  Their words of fear and concern seem, to stay with you.  Especially, when you have chosen to do what it is you have a vision for even in spite of your family’s best advice!

Then when things begin to get challenging for you, after you have moved ahead on your goals and vision and even with all of your friends and family offering their reasons why you’d be crazy to do what you want to do, the voices of that past criticism seem to get really loud when you do face those first challenges on route to that new life you want to create, or goal you want to achieve!

To be your own inner hero, takes determination.

Determination to act in spite of derision

Determination to act

Determination to risk

Determination not to listen to those friends and family who really matter to you

Determination to perhaps fail

You need to be determined to do it “No Matter What”

That should be your mantra this year… “No Matter What”!

Do it…”No Matter What”

Here is why you need to live this way. It is your life, the lessons you learn along your journey are yours, when you are on your death bed do you want to live life with regrets or do you want to know in the deep recesses of your heart and soul, that you lived your life on your terms, “No Matter What”!

 

Let’s talk about determination and a woman named Loretta …

Loretta was the middle of seven children in a poor, single-parent family. Born partially blind and intellectually challenged, she was unable to walk or talk until age 4. Eventually, though, she began to run. And before she knew it, she had crossed the finish line of 26 marathons, twice placing among the top 100 women in the Boston Marathon. She introduced President Bill Clinton at the 1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games, has won medals in dozens of its events, and also holds the current women’s record in her age group for the 5000 meters at 17 minutes.

Today, Loretta is a celebrated athlete who was honored in 1996 with ESPN’s ESPY Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Her life is recounted in Walt Disney Productions film about her life… (originally broadcast on ABC-TV and now on DVD) and in the biography In Her Stride,  published by WorldScapes.

And now, here is the rest of the story, as the late, great broadcaster Paul Harvey would say.

Loretta,  is Loretta Claiborne. She was about to be sent to an institution as a child to live…she didn’t know she was intellectually challenged…she spoke to her mom as she was being dropped off at the convent, the very Catholic home and institution she was about to live in.

At the very last minute her mom, withdrew Loretta from that institution and raised her on her own.

Her mom was determined to ensure Loretta lived a “normal” life despite her intellectual challenges.

If you log onto the Loretta Claiborne website, you will learn more about her.

Her main joy now is to show that persons with intellectual and physical disabilities are equal to those without.

“If it weren’t for sports, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I was very angry before and sports was the arena that turned that around for me,” Claiborne says. “I got support from family, community and God — he is the strength of all and can make anything possible.” The Loretta Claiborne Story not only outlines Claiborne’s personal and spiritual journey, but it shows her joyful, sometimes mischievous personality.

Running is not the only part of Claiborne’s life. She holds a 4th degree black belt in karate, communicates in four languages, including American Sign Language, and holds two honorary doctorate degrees; one from Quinnipiac College and one from Villanova University, making her the first person with an intellectual disability known to receive such honors, according to Special Olympics Incorporated.

However, Claiborne says the most rewarding part of her life has been her involvement with the Special Olympics, and she wants to continue helping people with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities succeed. She advises them, “Find an opportunity and seize it. Be the best you can be, and never let anyone doubt you.”

Here is Loretta talking at a Ted Talk about supporting Special Olympics and being decent to those with learning challenges and developmental disability!

Loretta is determined, fearless, but determined to make a difference.

This week, ask yourself, what is inside you? What is it your heart and soul are determined to do? What is your joy, your art, your talent that you are determined to see happen in the world?

Begin to live your goal, pack determination, because you are going to need it!

Please make it a great week!

Cheers/David Cohen