Several
years ago, I met a young man named Emeka Nnaka, who had been paralyzed playing football for the semipro team the Oklahoma Thunder. As I talked to Emeka about that experience, I noticed something interesting. The way he told the story of his injury had transformed over time — and this led him out of despair into a more positive, purposeful life.
Immediately after his injury, Emeka told himself a story that essentially went like this: My life was great playing football. But now, look at me.
My life is basically over. But as the months went by, he started weaving a different story about his life. Reflecting on his life before and after he hurt himself, his new story became: Before the injury, “I partied a lot and didn’t think about others …. I was living a purposeless life. But my injury made me realize I can be a better man...
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