I love music.  My earliest memories are of my dad playing records on Saturday nights.  I was the little girl dancing around in pajamas and pigtails singing along with Whitney Houston in front of a mirror with my hairbrush microphone.  As a teen I sang in the children’s choir at church and in school.  My younger adulthood (I’m still young though 😉 ) was spent on the praise team at church.  I was never the skilled soloist, but the faithful alto holding my own.  I loved music and it loved me back in return.

Fast forward to present day and I’m no longer singing regularly.  A minor jaw problem forced me to step away from the thing I’ve enjoyed doing my entire existence.  The one thing that brought me such happiness now causes me some of the most physical pain.  I’ve mourned in silence for the past few years, but I’m not here to dwell on the negative.  I’ve channeled my energy into my second love – writing – though I’ll never forget my first.  I think this experience has actually made me a better writer.

This brings me to the video I hope you’ll watch below.  It is the story of an artist named Phil Hansen.  He developed an ailment that could have ended his profession and passion, but he decided to embrace his limitations.  In doing so, it opened up a whole new world of artistry that he would have never discovered had he not gone through such a loss.  What appeared to be a career ending condition turned out to elevate his creativity.

He tells how he triumphed over this in a TED Talk – a nonprofit organization committed to connecting people and sharing ideas to foster a greater understanding of the world and the human experience.  I can relate to his journey and I think no matter where you are in life, you can find something in his account that you can identify with as well.  His is a story of perseverance and resilience.  I hope it encourages you as much as it touched me.