Hello fellow bloggers. I don’t even know if that is a proper greeting for this first time blog. My name is John Register and I am a newbie to blogging. However, I took it up because a good friend of mine, well I hope him to be a good friend of mine, told me that I should share some of my experiences as well as my viewpoints and positive outlooks on life’s challenges with more than just a few friends. After much deliberation I decided that he was right and that I would now write.
The focus of my blogs will be mostly on finding the inspiration and motivational in the moments in life that are challenges to us. I believe that there is something to be said and learned from on the topic of inspiration.
I used to shrug this term, “Inspiration,” off. It always felt cheesy. I mean after all I know the real me and the person who they think I am, may not be the person that I think I am. Yet, all the time, after each one of my keynote presentations someone will come up to me and tell me that my presentation was such an inspiration.
Other will write me months later and tell me how what I said caused them to change their direction in life. That is some serious weight.
It took me a while to understand that just because I walk out the door wearing shorts, someone is inspired. Someones life is changed.
The amazing thing is that this is not just true of me, it is true of each one of us! When you walk out of your door each morning you have the opportunity to inspire someone. You have a opporutnity to truly positively impact someones life!
Well before I go too far down the inspirational road I had better tell you a little something about myself.
I am a two-time and two sport Paralympic Athlete who was once a United States Olympic hopeful in the 400m hurdles. I still remain, unless someone tells me otherwise, a 4x All American and graduate of the University of Arkansas. Go Hogs!! (Ooo – Pig – Sooie)
I was also a soldier for 6 years and served in the United States Army. I saw combat in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Well, there was not much combat in that War. I came out of the war without a scratch to my body. My mind on the other hand was messed up for about 7 months according to my wife of now 23 years.
So, how does an All-American athlete, Army Veteran, two-time Olympic Trials candidate become a Paralympian (athlete with a physical disability); well simple, I lost my left leg in a track and field accident. Kind-of crazy huh? That story will be another blog I’m sure.
From the loss of my leg to the point of winning the silver medal at the Paralympic Games in Sydney Australia I found out that life continues to happen! And, we all have a choice as to whether we are going to fully engage in it or sit on the sidelines. I choose (we all have a choice) to engage and to help others engage.
So, I hope I have perked your interest enough to come back and visit my second blog. Which probably will be entitled, “Inspirational Lessons from an Airplane Overhead Bin.”
Stay tuned and see you soon!
