Finding Inspiration: People on the internet

Something that inspired and motivated me was reading about other people who overcame obstacles.

The two main sources for me are the news stories and uploaded video sites, such as Youtube.

Offhand, I remember watching a clip from a Korean talent show about a young man (who I believe is now an opera singer) who was homeless from age 5 - 15.  I remember a Mongolian boy who lost his mother when he was 8, and then his father a couple of years later.  Then there was Susan Boyle. Nobody expected her to sing the way she did when she first appeared in front of Simon Cowell and the other judges.

And then there the stories that make the news media: like the college student who got a cut on a zipline and a flesh eating bacteria entered her body, and local news stories from around the country about people who were paralyzed as a result of West Nile, or a rare neurological condition and walked again, or damaged spinal cord due to an accident , was told they would not walk again, and walked again.  Some of these stories are similar to mine, and I get inspired and motivated by reading about others who overcame obstacles similar to mine.

Then there are social media sites.  When a tragedy occurs, people will start creating pages or blogs to keep people informed of progress.  This blog is one.  I wish I started this while in the early stages of recovery.  When reading about other people working hard to overcome their obstacles, it inspires me to work hard with them to overcome mine, even if they are strangers, and even if I will never meet them in person during my lifetime.

I think one of the greatest uses of the internet and social media is for people who don't know each other personally, to create a virtual community, and support each other.

I think surfing the internet has helped my recovery for it put me in contact with stories of other people who overcame or are overcoming obstacles of their own, whether it is similar to mine or not.

Leave a comment