I’ll be doing a series (I doubt if it will end) It will be on people that succeeded greatly against the odds. I’m strongly tilted to the entrepreneurship side presently and I need all the encouragement and inspiration I can get.

It’s good to resume blogging again (again), though with the things I need to get done and the things I need to learn, it’s usually overwhelming. I basically have to steal time not just create it to get other things done.

It’s been a long time since I heard of Helen Keller. She wasn’t born blind but she saw her last light (as far as physics was concerned) 19 months after her birth due to an illness that would probably have been a piece of cake if it was today.

So Helen became a deaf-blind. This meant the only method you could input data into her was touch! The eye gates and ear gates were permanently shut for life! This was like ALL hope was gone. She had almost no vocabulary in her before her communication means were cut short.

Yet with the help (especially) of Sulivan her teacher, she lived to be an outstanding lecturer, author, advocate and activist. Here are a few lessons I think we can learn.

1. Your Seemingly Unimportant relationships could prove key – don’t mess them up.

We will regularly meet all kinds of people (those we consider below, parallel and above us). We need to be careful not tread on them. Martha Washington was the 6 year old child of the Kellers cook. She was the only one who could help Helen with her communications, and after a while, she had developed over 60 home signs for communication with her family. A psychologist exclaimed that Martha’s help to Helen was really crucial. God will make available people and opportunities to bring your dreams to pass in your life progressively; value and respect them because you can never tell where it will take you.

2. You can rise above the limitations/disabilities and shine in your lifetime; don’t condone pity parties

Truth is we all have what we can call disabilities. We have limitations that will be as a result of our backgrounds and environment. But we owe it to ourselves to be open to the various opportunities to prosper in spite of our seeming limits. We can lay claims on our temperaments, our upbringing, our parents, our neighbourhood, our country, our this and our that as excuses…, but once there’s a strong desire for a ‘joy set before us’ all these obstacles/excuses will be overcome.

3. Your ground breaking testimony will cause positive things you did not bargain for – don’t despise little beginnings and little victories

Because a 6 year old developed some way to communicate with deaf-blind Keller, her teacher Sulivan was able to help her better, and because of her teacher, additional and advanced help from other sources made tremendous impact not only in her life but in the lives of countless others. Because of these series of successes in Helen Keller’s ability development, many more deaf-blind and related patients were and will continue to be empowered. You must use the opportunities in your life to develop yourself, systems and others; the effect will better the world in measures you won’t imagine.

4. When you are strengthened, strengthen and live for others too.

We must all move from privilege to purpose. Helen Keller was one of the few then who against hope (with no eyes) rose to be what the average person would have needed ‘four eyes’ for. And she also reached out to people with similar limitations. We must not be in a hurry to forget the ‘not-so-desirable’ places we are coming from; we should give back to those that are still there. We must constantly remind ourselves that we are blessed to be blessings. This is the centre of fulfilment. Helen delibrately lived her life to the fullest she could. Take a cue from her…from today I mean.

That’s all folks! Have a fulfilling week!