Tag Archives: triumph of the will

Through Balance Everyone Has Potential To Shine

Life sometimes can seem off kilter as responsibilities mount and people plow all their physical and mental resources into what seems to be the most pressing crisis of the moment.

But Lumbie Mlambo says that’s a good time to take a step back. Everyone has the potential to shine in life’s darkest moments, but the key to achieving goals and an overall better existence is to maintain a balance so that one aspect of your life isn’t consumed by another.

While some people might say balance in life is an impossible goal, she disagrees and says when each of us find our equilibrium, we become more productive and a greater asset to our communities.

“There’s balance in everything we do, be it walking, talking, eating, sleeping, working or spending time with family,” says Mlambo, editor of Equanimity Magazine, an online publication that features inspiring stories of life and success.

“For example, look at how we try to deal with our work-life situation. We balance our workload so that we can still make room for other activities, to spend more time with our spouses or our children. We do that because we understand how important it is.”

Einstein Life Balance Quote

She offers these reasons for why living a balanced life is essential.

•  The health factor. Staying balanced is a key to a healthier and successful life. Both mental health and physical health benefit, and as a result, so do our overall lives. “When we’re healthy, we’re able to care for ourselves and others in our community,” Mlambo says.

•  The empathy factor. When we find balance in life, we can better understand the importance of helping the underprivileged, says Mlambo, who grew up in a rural area in Zimbabwe. You begin to realize that someday you could be in their situation, which makes you a more empathetic person. “Your economic situation is like your health,” she says. “Nothing is guaranteed.”

•  The role-model factor. Sharing our stories – whether it’s a tale of success or even a tale of failure – is important because others can learn from us or be inspired by us as they too strive for a balanced life. “When you tell your story, it empowers, motivates and encourages people to not give up on their dreams and goals,” Mlambo says. “Maybe you think your story is just not that interesting or important. But for someone out there, it may be the spark that ignites them to great things.”

Mlambo always strove to find balance in her life. But she became even more passionate about it after she suffered a stroke in 2001 that left her partially paralyzed. She since has recovered, but says the event had a profound impact on her and she will always consider herself a stroke patient.

Audrey Hepburn Life Is About Others Too Quote

“Before the stroke, I thought my life was balanced in a way,” she says. “I mean, I ate healthy foods. I exercised seven days a week. But it was not balanced in the way I wanted. I had been too focused on myself. I realized that life was not just about me, but about others.”

Finding balance in life isn’t just a feel-good concept, Mlambo says. As people achieve balance, they realize they have the potential to rise above their circumstances. They can become more productive in their communities and that is good for everyone.

“Staying proactive and shifting the way we think can even help the economy to grow and can help create more jobs,” she says.

Certainly, maintaining a balanced life may be tougher than ever because technology allows work – emails, text messages, telephone calls – to intrude on people’s “off” hours. But that’s just all the more reason to make a concerted effort to strive for balance, Mlambo says.

She says it’s become popular in some circles to argue that a balanced life is a myth and can’t be achieved. But regardless of their views, she says, most people seem to be trying to bring balance to their lives, even if they don’t think of it that way.

“We eat healthy to stay balanced, we get enough sleep or rest to avoid stress, we juggle our daily activities to stay balanced,” Mlambo says. “To be successful in anything we do, we must have some sort of balance.” For the Silo, Lumbie Mlambo

Disease Did Not Stop Marine Swimming Alcatraz To San Fran Blindfolded

Shackled but making waves- Jay Platt swimming from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco with his hands and feet tied.
Shackled but making waves- Jay Platt swimming from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco with his hands and feet tied.

For as long as he could remember, Jay Platt wanted to be a  U.S. Marine, and for nearly 15 years, he lived that dream. But in 1998, a rare condition called von Hippel Lindau syndrome (VHL), attacked his eyes, brain, spine and kidneys, forcing his retirement from the service.

“Before VHL I pretty much felt untouchable – until I started  having symptoms and the eventual diagnosis,” he says.

"I was scared, confused and angry" Jay Platt explains some of the emotions that he has learned to conquer.
“I was scared, confused and angry” Jay Platt explains some of the emotions that he has learned to conquer.

“I was scared, confused and angry for a number of years; I  couldn’t understand why God would do this to me. I went from feeling  invulnerable to officially being considered handicapped.”

After a personal journey of acceptance, Platt re-calibrated his sense of purpose by accepting challenges many world-class athletes wouldn’t  consider. Along with a record-breaking Mississippi swim while blindfolded,  handcuffed and shackled, he swam from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco with his  hands and feet tied, and he was one of fewer than 300 people to hike the more  than 2,100-mile southbound Appalachian Trail.

Platt, who is the subject of the new documentary, “Living  Unstoppable,” (www.LivingUnstoppable.com), explains his  transformation and how others might apply the lessons of his journey to their  own lives:

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The motivation of “can’t” … Something is triggered in people when they’re told they can’t do something. Those who want to do what they “can’t” eventually find a way if they’re motivated and determined. “I don’t care who you are – everybody goes through something in life; nobody gets through unscathed,” he says. “And everyone, at some point, faces something they believe they can’t do – but want very much. If you haven’t yet, you will, and coming to terms with it will be a process.” Use it as motivation for living life to the fullest, and let it show you how beautiful our time on Earth really is, he says.

The lesson of the severely handicapped little girl: Platt experienced a long period of despair, hopelessness and rage against the universe. One day while at the park, he heard the pure joy in the laughter of a severely handicapped girl who was being pushed in a wheelchair by her mother. “ ‘Listen to the birds, Momma,’ I heard her say – she was just so happy to experience that simple pleasure,” he says. “That has stayed with me ever since; if that little girl could get past her suffering and appreciate singing birds, then I could do much better.”

A promise to contribute to the greater good: The onset of his VHL symptoms, which included vision problems in his left eye and disorientation, was a very scary period for Platt. During this period he made a promise to himself and God to devote his life to others if he survived. He has kept that promise – his Appalachian Trail hike alone raised $109,000 for charity.

You are still you; don’t let tragedy totally define you: While Platt is officially retired from the USMC, he is still the same guy who fully lived a proud life as a Marine for a decade and a half. While how you respond to hardship says much about one’s character, you don’t have to remain psychically stuck in the worst part of your life by identifying most with a weakness. Use a handicap, for example, for what it’s worth – something that helps you strive for significance and fulfillment in life.  For the Silo, Ginny Grimsley. 

About Jay Platt
Jay Platt was medically retired from the Marine Corps in  1998 after suffering complications from von Hippel Lindau syndrome (VHL), a genetic disease that resulted in brain and spinal tumors, kidney cancer, and the loss of his left eye. When told his future would be considerably dimmer than his past, Platt set out to rebuild himself physically, mentally and spiritually, and to challenge himself by setting demanding physical goals. He was one of fewer than 300 people to have hiked the more than 2,100-mile southbound Appalachian Trail; one of three to swim from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco with hands and feet tied; and the only person to swim across the Mississippi River while blindfolded, handcuffed and shackled. The proceeds from his adventures and sales of his documentary benefit non-profits, including the VHL Family Alliance.