If I told you that a blind guy said yes to writing a chapter for my book project WITHOUT hesitation… Would you believe me? That’s exactly what happened to me for my upcoming book project “Yes I Can! 15 Mindset Secrets From Inspiring Entrepreneurs Around The World”.
At first I was like, “How can a blind person write?”. Okay, I know that sounds silly and don’t judge me on this but in my mind if he can’t see, then how can he write a presentable chapter of 3000 words within the timeline? It’s a huge challenge for anybody let alone someone without a vision. When I had a chat with him I was blown away not only by his presence but also his outlook on overcoming barriers.
This person isn’t just an ordinary person. His name is Mike Armstrong and he lost his eye sight when he was 26 years old. He has dedicated his life to mastering the art of self defense for the last 30 years and has his own martial arts school. Mike and his wife Tiffany are both blind and together they have created a movement called “United Through Vision” to inspire people to overcome barriers in their life.
Mike and I met at a networking event and when he shared his story, I was moved. When I ask if anyone would be interested to contribute a story on a book project, Mike gave me a YES straight away.
It took me a couple of months to get back to him (mostly due to my insecurity and the noises in my head!), but today was the day that I took action and gave Mike a call. In my mind I saw him in my book project and felt the impact that his story could make to thousands of people. So I summoned up my courage and by-passed the self-sabotaging noises in my head and gave him a ring.
Here are 3 inspirational lessons that I learned from working with Mike. I hope that it’ll inspire you to overcome the challenges in your lives and will help you to strive towards experiencing the best version of your lives.
“I want to inspire people to overcome barriers in their life! It’s just mind over body,”
Mike Armstrong
#1 No Excuses
When Mike shared his story on him overcoming his circumstances despite his blindness, I was moved. In my heart I knew that he was someone extraordinary. I told him, “Mike, I love your story! Can you write your Chapter and send it to me by the end of this month?”. So Mike had less than 30 days to write 2000-3000 words.
“Yes! I can probably give it to you within a week!”, he said. I was shocked. Majority of the people that I came across would come up with some form of excuses or reasons even though they had longer time than Mike. Of course some of the reasons are valid and some are downright strange ( that’s the best way that I can put it if you know what I mean!).
But with Mike there were no excuses like “Because I’m blind, I need more time”, or “I’ve got a lot of projects at the moment so it’s not a good time for me” or “I need time to think about it” or “I need to discuss with my partner first” any other excuses. Look I’m not saying that those aren’t real reasons, it just that Mike didn’t even utter any of those. It’s like barriers didn’t exist in his mind.
Not only did he have less time than anyone else, he is also at a disadvantage because of his blindness. And yet he chose to make a commitment with ease and strength. WOW- When you truly live above your circumstances you can create yourself to be unstoppable!
#2 Give More
A few minutes after our conversation, Mike sent me an email. He said, “I may send you two different stories for you to choose from!”. OMG! Never have I ever in my career had someone offered to send me two stories. All of my authors gave me just one story. Some struggled to give me even one story and through persistence and consistency they managed to write a great story at the end. Even I would write one story for my books and writing two stories didn’t even cross my mind.
Now here is Mike who offered me not just one but two stories for me to choose from! This is the first time in my career that such an incredible thing has happened. He taught me that despite your circumstances you can choose to give more. The only thing that’s stopping you is YOU.
#3 It’s Easy
Talking to Mike, I can feel his presence of calmness and strength. When he told me that he can write a 3000 word chapter by the end of this month, not only that I felt his commitment but there is also an ease around it.
He said that he’s already got some stories written down and he can easily tweak it. The way he said it is as he’s embracing the “It is done!” mentality. There were no excuses, no reasons why he can’t do it. There’s a carefree easiness around him which in return makes my job really easy.
I’ve chatted with various people from all around the world and Mike is one of the easiest, simplest and straightforward conversations that I’ve had when inviting people to my book project. I love sharing people’s stories and as a result help them to gain the credibility and authority they are wanting in their careers.
His blindness isn’t an excuse in his life. In fact, what I’ve learned from Mike is that his blindness is one of the biggest reasons that he has pushed through so many of his challenges and are living a life of possibilities and inspiration.
So if you’re wondering if a blind guy can write, “Yes he can!” and he’s doing it with ease, positivity and inspiration. I mean, who can resist such an extraordinary person right!
I know I’m blessed to connect with him and I pray that you will too. I feel honoured and excited to feature his inspiring story in my coming book “Yes I Can! 15 Mindset Secrets From Inspiring Entrepreneurs Around The World.”
Be one of the first to grab a copy of the book when it launches in Oct/Nov and read Mike’s story. You’ll be blown away and will have a positive outcome on overcoming challenges in your lives. Register here: https://bit.ly/2ZswOX6