I don’t remember the year, but I remember the event. I was at the National Speakers Association annual convention and I was psyched! I loved hearing top motivational speakers and imbibing the energy in the room.
As I got ready to listen to the next keynote speaker, I suddenly had a change in mood. They announced that he had Cerebral Palsy. WHAT? I couldn’t believe it. Why would an association of the top speakers in the world give the stage to someone who had CP? I had been a Speech Pathologist and I knew the labored and unclear speech of someone with this disorder. The disorder affects movement and muscle tone or posture. It can cause exaggerated reflexes and spasticity of the limbs and trunk. This would not be a walk in the park and I would not be able to sit back and enjoy the show. I would have to work hard to understand him.
At first it was difficult to catch every word. I had to pay attention and REALLY listen. At times I was straining but I stayed with the speaker. The more I listened, the more I realized he was quite a good speaker. He had the delivery skills of any other professional speaker. Not only was he a good storyteller, he knew how to work the stage. His use of humor and self-disclosure were an added surprise and endeared him to the audience. At one point I realized this speaker was more skilled and more experienced than I was. He shared a story about perception and I was beginning to doubt my own. As a person with Cerebral Palsy, he qualified for Handicapped Parking when he drove to the store. But his son said, “Why are you parking there? You’re not handicapped.” It was obvious that this speaker didn’t consider his condition to be an obstacle and neither did his family. They saw him as normal.
What started as an annoyance became a source of shame. If he had consulted me as a speech pathologist years ago and said he wanted to be a motivational speaker, I would have redirected him toward a more” realistic” goal. Well, he showed me! By transcending physical limitations this man became an inspiration for what’s possible. I left the meeting thinking that there’s no excuse for any of us not to succeed.
His name was David Ring. Although I only heard him speak that one time, I never forgot his name.
What is it that you believe you can’t do? What limiting beliefs are roadblocks to achieving your dreams?
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