EXCHANGE SELF PITY FOR GRATITUDE
на канале: Inspireful
Marla Runyan is a very accomplished woman.
She has a master’s degree, she’s written a book, and she’s competed in the Olympics.
She even became the first American woman to finish the 2002 New York Marathon with an astounding time of 2 hours, 27 minutes.
What makes Marla particularly extraordinary is that she’s accomplished all these feats despite the fact that she’s legally blind.
At age nine, Marla was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease, a form of macular degeneration that affects children.
As her vision deteriorated, Marla discovered her love for running.
Over the years, Marla has proved herself to be one of the fastest runners in the world, even though she’s never actually been able to see the finish line.
Initially, Marla became an accomplished athlete in the Paralympics.
She competed in 1992 and then again in 1996.
Not only did she earn a total of five gold medals and one silver medal, she also set several world records.
But Marla didn’t stop there.
In 1999, she entered the Pan American Games and she won the 1,500-meter race.
In 2000, she became the first legally blind athlete to ever compete in the Olympics.
She was the first American to cross the finish line in the 1,500-meter race and she placed eighth overall.
Marla doesn’t see her blindness as a disability.
In fact, she chooses to view it as a gift that allows her to become successful in both long-and short-distance races.
In discussing her blindness in her book, No Finish Line: My Life as I See It, Marla writes, “It not only has forced me to prove my competence but also pushed me to achieve.
It has given me gifts, such as will and commitment that I use every day.”
Marla doesn’t focus on what her vision loss took from her.
Instead, she chooses to feel grateful for what her vision impairment actually gave her.
While feeling sorry for yourself is about thinking I deserve better, gratitude is about thinking I have more than I deserve.