Searching for your daily dose of inspiration? Then you’ve ended up in the right place. I want to introduce you to an incredible athlete named Matt Stutzman who was born without arms on December 10, 1982. A few years ago, Matt earned a spot on the 2012 London Paralympic Team where he won a silver medal in archery.* At just 32 years old, Matt holds the Guinness World Record for the longest accurate archery shot which he achieved in 2011.
Now that’s pretty unbelievable, huh? Although Matt competed in the Paralympic games roughly three years ago, I still think his admirable story is worth sharing. No matter what challenges you might be facing in your life, Matt proves that anything and everything is within your reach as long as you put forth the effort to succeed. So what else can we learn from Matt? Well, you gotta keep reading to learn more!
1. Even when you’re facing extreme adversity, you never have an excuse to give up – ever.
Regardless of the situation and regardless of the circumstances, Matt teaches us that we must never lose hope. Instead, we must always find ways to exude a positive mindset. If we spend our days dwelling on the negative aspects of life, then we never leave enough time to celebrate all of the good things and good people that make life so worthwhile. So keep your head held high and keep pushing through. Life is tough, but there’s never a reason to give up on your dreams.
2. When life seems too impossible, simply put things in perspective.
Admit it. We all worry about things that seem so important in our everyday lives. Big exams or presentations, potential job promotions, and minor drama between friends or coworkers might leave you feeling like there’s hardly anything else that matters. But when you reflect on your life in ten years, will you really remember that one test you failed or that one promotion you didn’t receive? Probably not.
We all need to learn how to prioritize the situations in our lives, and ultimately, we all need to learn how to recognize when something is worth worrying about or when something is worth forgetting. People all over the world are suffering from horrible diseases and unfavorable living conditions on a daily basis. So remind yourself how fortunate you truly are when it feels like you’re experiencing a ‘rough day’ because there are millions of people around the globe who aren’t nearly as lucky.
3. Disregard any hateful words or comments that people might direct your way. No one is qualified to measure your potential success or ability.
If people want to waste their time critiquing your ability as an athlete, a performer, or a public speaker, then by all means, let them. While you’re gaining experience in the field, they’re lagging behind because they’re so focused on you and what they believe you need to improve upon as an individual. As always, people will be people. They’ll have their opinions and they’ll most likely feel the need to share their thoughts via Facebook, Instagram or any other social media platform.
But you know what? It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what others think of you because they’ll never have the ability to determine how far you’ll go in life. In fact, let their criticism fuel your desire to become an even better human being. You’ll have the last laugh. And who doesn’t love that?
4. In order to succeed, you must maintain a courageous, tenacious, and headstrong mentality.
I think this one’s a given. Without his intense determination to succeed, Matt would not have earned any sort of medal in the 2012 Paralympic games. I hate to sound cliché, but Matt is living proof that anything is, in fact, possible with a little faith, a lot of hard work, and a ton of perseverance.
Again, there’s never an excuse to stop fighting for your dreams. So if you’re ever in need of a little motivation, then revisit Matt’s story for a little push in the right direction.
***Information from this article was gleaned from Matt’s blog ***
