It is true that life is full of challenges, and each and every individual encounters the same at one point in life. Whereas some people have economic difficulties, others are faced with health complications. Therefore, the only difference is the nature and magnitude of the challenges that we face. Besides, it is evident that these challenges define our future depending on how we perceive them. Whereas some people get discouraged and lose hope because of the challenges the face in life, others take them as a motivation, learning from every bit, and the end attains success in life. The story of Hellen Keller is a good illustration on how unfair life could be to some people, even from the very young age. However, it is also a source of motivation for many people who might be going through similar or any other problems, to keep on fighting towards realizing their dreams and ambitions.
I learnt the story of Hellen Keller in 5th grade, a time when I was facing perhaps the most difficult periods of my life. For a long time, I suffered health complications that not only affected my performance in school, but also both physical and mental well-being. I was in and out of school because of illness and I lost a lot of precious time, which made it difficult for me to compete at the same level with my peers in class. At one point, I had lost hope that I will ever realize my ambitions of going all the way up the higher levels of education. However, her story was not only a source of encouragement to me, but also it made me realize how less complicated my situation was; considering what other people could be dealing with. From that moment, I saw my health complications not as stumbling blocks to my success, but as the stepping stones to the same.
Hellen Keller lost her two most important senses, the sense of seeing and the sense of hearing, but she still accomplished much more that perhaps those with these senses failed to achieve. It is evident that, from her story; she was a gifted child from a very tender age. She spoke and walked in less than one year after birth, and although she could not talk or see afterwards due to illness, she managed to learn how to communicate with other people. She went on to achieve greater things academically, and even competing significantly with normal people in the job market. Actually, even with her condition, she achieved more than what most normal people have and could ever achieve in life. Living for 88 years with her health complications shows how successful one could be if he/she learns to live with the inevitable challenges. She stands out as an icon of how determination, hard work, as well as imagination could permit a person to succeed over harsh conditions.
Finally, we should never be discouraged from working towards achieving our dreams, despite the ups and downs of life. It is imperative to change the way we perceive adversity, and take it a motivation of working towards achieving the best in life, rather than settling for less. Hellen Keller will ever remain a heroine for putting on a brave fight against adversity to be among the few achievers.
