I recently read an article written by a person who graduated from high school and was ready to head out into the world to find a job. The only problem was that this person had learning disabilities, and she was candid about that fact. Interview after interview ended in rejection. Even though she was perfectly capable of doing the jobs she was applying for, she was never given a chance to prove herself.
After enough rejection to cause anyone to give up, she looked deep within herself and decided that she needed to follow a different path. You might be thinking that I just chose some kind words to describe her giving up on her desire to find a job, but you would be very mistaken. What she did was find an employer who believed in her and her abilities, she became self-employed.
For over a decade this hardworking, dedicated and very wise person worked in the pet care industry in addition to her work as a volunteer with various charities. My point is that even though others tried to deny her the satisfaction of finding a job and contributing to society, she found a way to do it on her own. That is enough to make her an incredible inspiration, but that is not the end of the story.
She also chose to share her experiences living with a learning disability through her memoir “I Am Not Stupid, I Am Just Like You: What It Really Is Like Living With A Learning Disability,” which she wrote and published through Amazon. So now we can add brave to her list of attributes, as she was willing to tell her story and share her challenges publicly, to educate others.
But there is more…this lady decided that she enjoyed writing and would like to begin a career as a writer. This is where I crossed paths with Amy Temple. She was the first person to offer her work as a guest post here on See The Good. And as it turned out, that was a very fortunate day for me and for the readers of this website. Amy has been a dedicated contributor who offers insight into issues and meaningful observations based on her own experiences.
Amy recently thanked me for the opportunity to write for See The Good. I pointed out to her that it was her hard work and talent that made it possible. It was also her dedication that opened the door for her to write for a total of five websites at this time. Amy has many gifts to share with the world, one of which is writing, and another is her kind and honest heart. She is a shining example of what you can accomplish if you believe in yourself and are willing to put in the work to follow your dreams. Thank you, Amy, for all that you do to teach others about how we should all be living our lives. You inspire me to be a better person and to follow my dreams!
Beautifully said, Kathy! Amy truly is an inspiration. When I commented on her writing through e-mail, I heard back from her right away. Her posts (like yours) are always uplifting and cause us to think twice about certain things we may have taken for granted, or haven’t really thought about in the way you present them. I’m amazed that you can come up with such pithy subjects, varying the length of your posts as you do, some more serious, some more light-hearted, day after day. Today, we are hearing too much about the dark side of social media and the Internet, but for me, the good FAR outweighs the not-so-good. You and Amy are such Beacons of Light, using modern technology to help enlighten us all. Blessings to you on this absolutely beautiful late summer day here in West Michigan.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Pamela and Kathy. It has been a real honor to share my gift with you all.
I hope to continue to do so for a long time to come.