Volume 1, Issue 10

Becoming Your Best

November 2010
Newsletter
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small
matters compared to what lies within us.” Far too often we worry about things in
our past or worry about what may happen in the future. We forget to focus on the
things we are capable of doing right now.

The truth is, we cannot change anything that has already happened in the past.
Neither can we do much about what may happen in the future. What we can
control are our thoughts and attitudes at this present moment.

Helen Keller said, “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed
to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.” By thinking
positive thoughts and maintaining an attitude of gratitude, we can open new
doorways. This helps in our journey to becoming our best.

This is the time of the year we are reminded to be grateful for all our many
blessings. It is a time when we give thanks for what we have been given.
BECOMING YOUR BEST

We all have been blessed by God with talents, abilities, gifts, and skills. We should
focus upon what we have been given and be thankful for these blessings. We
should expend our efforts in developing and using what we have been given,
Stories Of Hope And Encouragement

especially in the service to others. When we do this, we are able to be a blessing

to others, while receiving blessings in return.
About Individuals With Disabilities

This issue focuses on individuals with disabilities who have become famous de-
spite the challenges they had to overcome in life. At some point, each one came
to a realization of what they had been given. They developed what they had. They
put it to use in service to others.

May their examples inspire you!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Submit your inspirational stories to the following e-mail address:

stories@becomingyourbest.com.

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter by sending an e-mail to:

newsletter@becomingyourbest.com.

________________________________________________________________________________

WE ARE NOW ON FACEBOOK—BECOME A FAN AT BECOMING YOUR BEST.

The photograph is by Bob Sumners—see more at www.shootthebeach.com.

Mission:

We are dedicated to presenting inspiring stories of hope and encouragement

about individuals with disabilities.

These stories of success are meant to provide support and the keys to
“Becoming Your Best!”

Thank you for your stories and your support!

George M. Graham Jr.

“FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES” BY GEORGE M. GRAHAM JR
The word “disabilities” has numerous meanings and presents a host of differing connotations to individuals. The World
Health Organization describes it as, “ … an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation
restrictions.” Many resources in defining disabilities refer to categories such as Developmental Disabilities, Mental
Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, and Other Disabilities.

When people are asked to name famous individuals with disabilities, they typically come up with names such as Helen
Keller, Christopher Reeve, Stevie Wonder, or Albert Einstein. These are some of the most common, among a few
others such as Tom Cruise, Walt Disney, or even Michael J. Fox.

Throughout history there have been millions of people with disabilities who, like some of the names listed in the
previous paragraph, have had to overcome obstacles in their lives. For many, it was probably a difficult road to travel.
It was probably challenging at times, and somewhat discouraging. However, thanks to someone in their lives—a
parent, a teacher, a mentor, or a friend, they were able to find the strength and determination to meet their challenge
and be successful.

This article will focus on the stories of some famous people who have had similar types of challenges in their lives.
They have been able to develop their talent, abilities, gifts, or skills to find their “niche,” which has helped them to
become who they are.

If you have ever watched the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, then
you have seen the host of the show, Ty Pennington. You may have noticed Pennington
is full of energy, to put it mildly. He walks around with a megaphone in his hand,
screaming out commands. He is like the Energizer Bunny who never stops—he keeps
going, and going, and going.

Pennington tells the story about how he was always getting into trouble in elementary
school. His mom was a single parent, working a full time job, and going to school to
become a child psychologist. She visited her son’s school one day to do some obser-
vations as part of her school requirements. She asked the principal if she could
observe the student who was struggling the most in school. The principal responded,
“Well, you’ve seen that child already, because the biggest problem kid is yours.”

Pennington goes on to say he didn’t really want to be a problem child, but he just
didn’t know where he fit in. He did know the only time he felt focused was when he
was working with his hands. He discovered his “niche” at 10 years of age when he
built his first tree house.

When Pennington’s mom saw he had built a three-story tree house, her jaw dropped. She said, “Ty, you are something
else!” That was when he realized, here was something he could do. Here was something that made him happy and his
mom proud.

By the time Pennington entered college, he was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD.) Even
though he received treatment for the ADHD, he says he was still energetic. One thing led to another and he ended up
on Trading Spaces, eventually leading him to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

“I’d seen how God could use my gifts and turn them into something. Just because I was different didn’t mean I
couldn’t succeed,” Pennington shares. “That’s why I wanted to do the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I
wanted people to know that their dreams, the impossible things that they had hoped for, really could come true,” he
added.

Pennington concludes, “We’re in the business of making their dreams, their hopes, come true. That’s one of the most
amazing things you can do for a person, a gift not just from the recipient, but for the giver.”

Pennington wants others to know about his ADHD because he feels it may offer hope to them!

The information used above comes from an article written by Ty Pennington, entitled Design for Life.

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“FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES”… CONTINUED

If you are a “movie buff”, you are no doubt familiar with the name Bruce Willis. He has
appeared in over 60 movies and television shows. Not only is he an actor, he is a
producer and an awesome musician. He is probably best known from his character
part as John McClane in the Die Hard series.

As a youngster, Willis had a horrible problem with stuttering, and it was a very painful
time for him. He feels he developed his sense of humor as a way of being able to deal
with his stuttering.

Even though stuttering caused some problems for Willis in school, he discovered
something miraculous. He found he would not stutter when he acted on stage in front
of people. This marked the beginning of Willis’s interest in acting and led him to
discover his “niche” as an actor.

Willis overcame his stuttering problem to go on to become one of America’s highest grossing leading actors and
supporting actors. He has received numerous awards and honors. He has even recorded several solo albums.

In 2002 Willis was appointed as the national spokesman for Children in Foster Care. Regarding this, he said, “Too
many children in foster care are falling through the cracks. Be a hero—take the time to learn about adoption today.”

Information about Bruce Willis is taken from a number of resources on the internet.

Another familiar face in the movies and on television is Whoopi Goldberg. When she was
asked what books made an impression on her when she was younger, she replied, “I’m
dyslexic, so there weren’t a whole lot of books in my early life. But I did love stories. I
love fairy tales and I love spooky stories. Anything with a good 25-30 minute brain trip
for me to go on. I still like to be read too.”

Goldberg goes on to say, “When I was a kid they didn’t call it dyslexia. They called it…
you know, you were slow, or you were retarded, or whatever.” She did not find out that
she was dyslexic until she was a grown woman.

Goldberg says it didn’t stop her though, “Because I knew I wasn’t stupid, and I knew I
wasn’t dumb. My mother told me that. Everybody told me I wasn’t stupid or dumb. If you
read to me, I could tell you everything that you read. They didn’t know what it was. They
knew I wasn’t lazy, but what was it?”

“What you can never change is the effect that the words ‘dumb’ and ‘stupid’ have on young people. So, we must
always be vigilant when those two words get stuck in our throat,” Goldberg commented. She went on to say those
words effect you and live with you forever.

Goldberg’s mother, a single parent, worked a variety of jobs to make ends meet including teaching and nursing.
Goldberg refers to her mother as a “stern, strong, and wise woman.” She evidently contributed to helping Goldberg to
have confidence in herself and to believe in herself.

Goldberg is one of a few individuals to win an Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy. She has appeared in over 150
films and received numerous awards and honors. She has also advocated for humanitarian efforts such as Comic
Relief. She said, “We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people
through the dark.” (CONTINUED TO THE NEXT PAGE)

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“FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES”... CONTINUED
“I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities,” said Goldberg. These are words which could benefit us all.

Information about Whoopi Goldberg comes from www.achievement.org and other internet resources.

Marlee Matlin is another well known actress who has appeared in a number of movies
and television programs. She lost all hearing in her right ear and 80% of the hearing in
her left ear at the age of eighteen months.

Matlin indicated that she is the only member in her family who is deaf. She shared in her
autobiography, I’ll Scream Later, that her hearing loss may have been due to a
genetically malformed cochlea.

She is the youngest woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading
Role, which she won when she was 21. She has never allowed her deafness to hold her
back. She said, “I have always resisted putting limitations on myself, both professionally
and personally.”

Matlin is involved in a number of charitable organizations, including Easter Seals, the Children Affected by AIDS
Foundation, Very Special Arts, along with many other charities that primarily benefit children. She is also serving as the
national spokeswoman for the largest provider of TV Closed Captioning.

Matlin once said, “Everyone of us is different in some way, but for those of us who are more different, we have to put
more effort into convincing the less different that we can do the same thing they can, just differently.” She has also said,
“It was ability that mattered, not disability, which is a word I’m not crazy about using.”

Information about Marlee Matlin comes from a number of resources on the internet. All photographs come from
internet resources.

These stories about famous people with disabilities should be viewed as a source of inspiration and encouragement to
help provide hope for others. These stories are meant to help individuals to visualize it is possible to face your fears,
overcome obstacles, and follow your dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear
in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”

JUST RELEASED—THE 2011 BECOMING YOUR BEST CALENDAR

This calendar was produced to help generate an awareness and provide support for the
Becoming Your Best project. Any revenue will be dedicated to promoting this project.

Each month has an inspirational quote and picture! All photos taken by George M. Graham Jr.

Find out more information by going to our website at www.becomingyourbest.com

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

Our two winners, who were randomly selected from among those who signed up for the newsletter,
are Diane Pevear and Louise Thomas.

Our two winners, who referred the most individuals to sign up for the newsletter, are Patty Kennedy
and Margaret Pritchett.

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