When I first came across an article about Turia Pitt, I read it casually just as if I were reading any other news item on FaceBook. But as I read through her story, I began to wonder about the aspects of human mind which can be amazingly extraordinary. Life sucks big time, you and I will agree to that, because we have a number of problems to talk about ranging from the tiniest of issues. Yes, that's what makes us human. To crib and complain. But what also makes us human is to be able to look up at life in the face and say 'Bring it on'.
Turia Pitt is of my age, a few months older than I (that's the only common thing between us). What makes her different is the fact that after facing a horrific burn accident which has left her - (see her image in the post of before and after). Instead of curling into a ball and hiding from the world, she is out in the open telling her story to the world.
Below is an excerpt borrowed from a famous site in which Turia talks about her struggle and courage and also what she thinks we can do in our lives:
“I find it really bizarre that people think I’m interesting because I was burned when truthfully, I have always been really interesting! I’m not trying to diminish my journey because it has been so incredibly tough. I have learnt that the strength of the human mind — our mind — is extraordinary. I’ve learnt that happiness and success in life are not a result of what we have bu
t rather of how we live. Most importantly, I have learnt all of us here have so much more potential and are so much more capable than we could ever know.
“In a matter of seconds, the accident had taken everything away from me: everything I was ever good at, everything I had ever known, everything I ever thought I wanted.“But maybe it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It gave me the freedom to start my life again. It gave me a voice. It gave me an opportunity to be heard. It gave me the resources to put my time and energy into something I am passionate about, such as working for Interplast and setting up my foundation.
“When I was in hospital, I needed a ritual if I was going to get better and I chose the stairs. At first, it was just one, then two ... By the time I was up to doing a whole flight, I told my surgeon. I thought he was going to give me a pat on the back. Instead, he said, ‘So what? Why don’t you do all of them?’ I said, ‘But there are nine flights, 18 landings, 234 steps’. But a part of me thought ‘screw you, mate’. The next day, Michael and I walked every one of those 234 steps. That was when I knew I had the potential to set any goal and achieve it.
“We all have this idea that time is infinite, that there is always tomorrow or next week or next year. In fact, time is our most valuable resource. You can’t buy it, you can’t extract it and it is running out for all of us. We have no idea when our time might be up. We have a choice: do we wait for disaster to happen and then find out how amazing we are, or at this point in time, do you say to yourself, I am extraordinary and there is so much more I can give? Since my accident, I have done the Lake Argyle Swim, walked a section of the Great Wall of China ... am training for my very first iron man and organising a fundraising trek on the Inca Trail. I invite people to join me and you should hear some of their excuses: it’s too far, I’m too fat, I’m too boring, I’m too old.
“It is astonishing the excuses people use to keep themselves stuck. If you really want something, you will find a way to make it happen. In a way, I am trapped by my body — it doesn’t let me do all the things I used to.
“But a lot of people are paralysed by their mindset. We doubt we would get that job, so we don’t go for it. We doubt we can finish that fun run, so we don’t enter.
“When did we start thinking so little of ourselves? It is natural to want things to stay the same and, sometimes, we are scared to evolve and become something new. But it shouldn’t take a tragedy to remind us who we are and what we are capable of.”
Turia Pitt is of my age, a few months older than I (that's the only common thing between us). What makes her different is the fact that after facing a horrific burn accident which has left her - (see her image in the post of before and after). Instead of curling into a ball and hiding from the world, she is out in the open telling her story to the world.
 |
| Before |
Below is an excerpt borrowed from a famous site in which Turia talks about her struggle and courage and also what she thinks we can do in our lives:
“I find it really bizarre that people think I’m interesting because I was burned when truthfully, I have always been really interesting! I’m not trying to diminish my journey because it has been so incredibly tough. I have learnt that the strength of the human mind — our mind — is extraordinary. I’ve learnt that happiness and success in life are not a result of what we have bu
 |
| After |
“In a matter of seconds, the accident had taken everything away from me: everything I was ever good at, everything I had ever known, everything I ever thought I wanted.“But maybe it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It gave me the freedom to start my life again. It gave me a voice. It gave me an opportunity to be heard. It gave me the resources to put my time and energy into something I am passionate about, such as working for Interplast and setting up my foundation.
“When I was in hospital, I needed a ritual if I was going to get better and I chose the stairs. At first, it was just one, then two ... By the time I was up to doing a whole flight, I told my surgeon. I thought he was going to give me a pat on the back. Instead, he said, ‘So what? Why don’t you do all of them?’ I said, ‘But there are nine flights, 18 landings, 234 steps’. But a part of me thought ‘screw you, mate’. The next day, Michael and I walked every one of those 234 steps. That was when I knew I had the potential to set any goal and achieve it.
“We all have this idea that time is infinite, that there is always tomorrow or next week or next year. In fact, time is our most valuable resource. You can’t buy it, you can’t extract it and it is running out for all of us. We have no idea when our time might be up. We have a choice: do we wait for disaster to happen and then find out how amazing we are, or at this point in time, do you say to yourself, I am extraordinary and there is so much more I can give? Since my accident, I have done the Lake Argyle Swim, walked a section of the Great Wall of China ... am training for my very first iron man and organising a fundraising trek on the Inca Trail. I invite people to join me and you should hear some of their excuses: it’s too far, I’m too fat, I’m too boring, I’m too old.
“It is astonishing the excuses people use to keep themselves stuck. If you really want something, you will find a way to make it happen. In a way, I am trapped by my body — it doesn’t let me do all the things I used to.
“But a lot of people are paralysed by their mindset. We doubt we would get that job, so we don’t go for it. We doubt we can finish that fun run, so we don’t enter.
“When did we start thinking so little of ourselves? It is natural to want things to stay the same and, sometimes, we are scared to evolve and become something new. But it shouldn’t take a tragedy to remind us who we are and what we are capable of.”
