Module 1: Living with

Self-pity is a human mechanism that everyone has tapped into at some point. Perhaps, it’s more natural to be self-pitying if you are functionally impaired. It’s easy to confine yourself in a world where your thoughts revolve around on might-have-beens and why things are as they are. I usually say: “Don’t overthink too much.” If you over-analyse such questions, it’s easy to end up in a vicious circle where self-pity breeds bad thought patterns and a negative mentality that affects each situation you find yourself in.

It’s important to have a realistic approach towards what you can and cannot do. This means that you must not choose unattainable goals. Even if you were to have the opportunity to jump after Wirkola, it doesn’t mean that you should. Having said that: it doesn’t mean that you can’t move mountains. It’s important to set goals, and to create a plan for self-achievement and where you want to go in life. As a daily wheelchair user, physical obstacles are continually encountered, but often there’s an alternative route to take.

From early childhood, I have been able to conquer the high mountains in my home municipality. Some might think that it’s impossible for a handicapped child to go up steep, hilly forest terrain, but my father didn’t think that way. His ability to ignore obstacles is a quality that I now possess. A positive attitude forms the foundation for seeking opportunities and achieving your desired quality of life. In the media, one hears of functionally impaired people doing the so-called impossible for someone in such a situation. I doubt that these people sat down and said to themselves, “It can’t be done, imagine everything that could go wrong,” before going out and accomplishing that which seemed impossible later. I’m sure their approach was completely different. You only have to look at Cato Zahl Pedersen or Stephen Hawking, who had a tracheostomy in 1985. Each person has their limits and as a functionally impaired person, it is important to challenge these boundaries. Not everyone can be like Stephen Hawking or Zahl Pedersen. We all have to overcome challenges, whether big or small.