Motivational Monday | Three Inspiring Lessons To Learn From Helen Keller

Happy New Year! ♥ ♥

“New year, new start.” Just like a lot of people, I begin 2017 with a fresh, positive outlook on the next twelve months and a whole new focus on achieving my dreams. Beyond my own sheer determination and eternally optimistic nature, I discovered another incredible source of inspiration this afternoon as I sat down to watch The Miracle Worker (1962) with my mum, who clears her schedule for a whole day each January and takes the time to introduce me to one of her most memorable childhood films.

If you’re unfamiliar with the story of The Miracle Worker, it’s a biographical film exploring the relationship between Helen Keller (played by Patty Duke), a deaf-blind child with the inability to speak, and Annie Sullivan (played by Anne Bancroft), the teacher who taught her to communicate through sign language. Despite her constrictive circumstances, Helen became a world-renowned author, political activist, and lecturer later in life, and was additionally credited for being the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree.

It’s safe to say that we can all learn a lot from Helen, a truly amazing woman who didn’t see her limitations as an excuse not to pursue her dreams. With that in mind, here are just three of the lifelong lessons that we can learn from her inspirational true story:

1. Pursue your dreams

Make your life a journey; Helen didn’t believe in living timidly, instead she explored the two anchors of optimism – one’s inner life and the outer world – without allowing the toxic nature of doubt to interfere in the pursuit of her dreams, which by default could not be realistic –- otherwise it would never have been a dream.

2. Nothing is impossible

Despite the obstacles or challenges that you might face in the pursuit of your dreams, nothing is impossible. Set yourself free of any self-imposed limitations and stay committed to your personal goals, the beauty of “time” is that you can accomplish just about anything if you keep at it long enough.

3. Focus on the positive

If you have the tendency to concentrate on the negative and let the positive things slide right past you, then it may be time to adjust your mindset — start asking how something can be done rather than telling yourself that it can’t be done. With a “glass half full” attitude you’ll soon realise that things aren’t getting worse, they’re getting better.

Wishing you all the very best for 2017!

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