Paul

CELEBRATE LIFE AND BEING ALIVE - MAKE SOME NOISE !!Every time we open our eyes, is another chance to create the life we want ......My "misadventure" in Iraq marked the end of one way of life ... and the start of another ...By 9.10am on November 17 2004 I was lying bloodied, burnt and broken in my wrecked vehicle; the victim of a Suicide car bomber in Baghdad. In a matter of seconds all control of my life had been violently snatched from me...over the months that followed, I came to realise that I had to take it back.Of course, this seemed like a ridiculous proposal to everyone else, given the amount of pain I was in, the extent of all my injuries and unfavourable prognosis, however I knew from experience that the right attitude coupled with motivation and a commitment to "be the best me I could become" would help to rebuild my strength again, not just physically but emotionally and mentally too (I did my first "Body for LIFE", or BfL, Challenge in 2001 and had continued to lead a BfL Lifestyle until the attack, over 3 years later).From my wheelchair I set my goals and commited to achieving them - I decided NOT to let myself be a victim of anything or anyone and that I would ...1. Walk again; unaided. 2. Build my body even stronger than it had been, before the attack 3. Redesign my life to one of CHOICE NOT CHANCE.Why did I make these choices ?... well, I realised that wherever we find ourselves at, is the perfect place to start; EVERY MINUTE of EVERY HOUR of EVERY DAY.Our lives can change in the blink of an eye - not just when something happens TO us, but also in those moments when we choose to take a stand and MAKE THE DECISION TO MAKE A CHANGE AND CHOOSE TO LIVE OUR LIFE AT 100% !Since that "Life-Choosing" moment, I have continued to go from strength to strength !I am passionate about life and appreciate it far more today than I ever did before that "misadventure".At the beginning of this journey, everyone was saying "you can't...you wont...it's too soon...", and there were certainly times on this journey when I almost bought-into that ....... ALMOST. However, my commitment and belief was strong enough to keep me moving towards my goals... and beyond.Winning the BfL competition and being named "Irish Grand Champion" was not the end of my story or journey - it became merely another bright, new start!The last 2 years has seen me travel the world and make some AMAZING friends, have been to the States umpteen times and re-trained as a Life Coach with MARTHA BECK (of OPRAH fame), travel to & volunteer at an ORPHANAGE IN THAILAND POST-TSUNAMI, establish A SUCCESSFUL COACHING PRACTICE, become involved in different working groups in the UK dealing with POST TRAUMATIC STRESS....... and don't even get me started talking about REJOINING A ROCK BAND... Man, Life is gooooooood !!

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