Thursday, October 3, 2013

Jujitsu-ing Reality



I'm always inspired by people who have mastered the art of finding happiness in life no matter what they are forced to deal with. One of my goals is to live in the now, the present tense and learning to enjoy every possible moment of each day. That is something that is, frankly folks, hard work!

The other day I met a remarkable man named Scott Lew. (Let me say that when I say "met", it wasn't in person, but our contact was really just via a video.) Scott made such a lasting impression on my life that it really doesn't matter if we ever actually meet in person, although I would love to someday!

Scott is a Hollywood producer, director and writer who is living with ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. He made the decision to face his situation head on and fight by "jujitsu-ing reality" or using the weight stacked against you and flipping it with his attitude. He is a self-described happy man who loves his life and his work as an artist.

Sound easy? Maybe, but now, let me add that Scott has no use of his body, with the exception of his mind and his eyes. He controls his keyboard with eye movements and employs an assistant to help him type in order to speed things up a bit. He writes every possible moment and when he's not writing, he's mentally planning the next day's work.

Scott's story is inspiring in so many ways, but his will and determination to continue doing what he loves most, will stay with me forever. Now, on days when I'm tired, sad, not feeling up to par or just plain lazy, I will remember Scott and sit down and write. I will write because that's what I'm inspired to do and I'll do it for me and I'll do it for Scott.

There is an award winning movie about Scott and it can be purchased by going to the website:
http://www.livingwithlew.com.
To see a short clip of the film you can access it on Face Book by searching on the ALS site. It was a September 20th posting.


4 comments:

  1. I am also drawn to people who tell their stories of overcoming odds. They don't let barriers stop them. They see them as a challenge and hurdle them. Write on, Elizabeth!

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  2. Truly an inspiration to those of us who allow the smallest of obstacles to get in our way. Great to see you sharing your words, Elizabeth. (I too have many friends I haven't met in person, but know quite well.)

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  3. I linked to your blog today. I hope you have many visitors as you write and share your story.

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  4. Hi Elizabeth! I wandered over from Mary's blog. Nice to "meet" you! This is a very inspirational story! We take so much for granted and we really don't have things as bad as we think we do. I love the concept of "jujitsu-ing" reality! Brilliant!

    Cheers,
    Jen

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