Disability Awareness Month 2016: Where am I now?

March is Disability Awareness Month each year.  I have to admit, I actually kinda geek out during this month! Yes, we do get covered on the news a bit more and I get to see the cool things that others do to celebrate the month.  I especially love the the humorous and empowering t-shirts! Most importantly though, I reflect on how far I've come in my life.  From the day of my birth and my parents wondering if I would survive the first couple days of life, to being a journalist in the field of my choice! Of course, there was a lot of hard work in between.  I've come to realize that I'm the same as everyone else, but drastically different. Goals and aspirations are slow to come, at times.  My brain, I say, is able-bodied, but my body is slow to follow!  Giving up, though, would never do anything good for me so I refuse to give any time to the idea.  Instead, I look to build up! The key to helping myself is helping others. Whether it's a warm hello with a smile, spending time with friends and family, shopping for gifts for friends, sending cards, writing, working with my team on my podcast and interviewing incredible folks...all this builds me up and gives me the strength to continue to shine and be the happiest I can be everyday! So, this year for Disability Awareness Month, my advice to you is something that Scott Chesney said, an international speaker from Verona, NJ, recently interviewed on my podcast: "Don't let something life changing happen to you before you make a change". There are always going to be challenges, emotional ups and downs, bumps in the road, things that can cloud your vision, but always ask yourself: "Would you want it to be worse?" It could be worse in an instant. You have the power to choose your attitude toward whatever situation you find yourself in. Happiness is where it's at, people! :)  You are more than your disability tells you you are!  I want you to be able to look back on 2016 Disability Awareness Month and be able to say: Where am I now? I'm farther than I ever thought possible! What a GREAT choice....Right? :)

''My disability doesn't define me, and I don't want it to define you." - Scott Chesney

I was on the lookout for an interview for my podcast and it just happened that I logged on to my Facebook page and there was an advertisement for Mobility Works. The video was 58 seconds long and that's all the time I needed to know that I wanted to ask Scott Chesney if I could interview him on my podcast! I was instantly motivated by the words that make up this blog post title!  As a life coach, Scott has spoken to over a million people in 38 countries.  But, that's not all... He's been happily married for 16 years and has two beautiful kids!  Oh, did I mention that he has a condition that affects the middle to lower portion of the spinal cord called a "sleeping volcano" which means it can cause a hemorrhage at any time, causing paralysis?  Scott is definitely someone who doesn't let his disability define how he lives his life.

He was asked, "If one word was used to say who you are, what word would you want that to be?" His answer was "real".  He realized that if you're real that's how your connection to people begins to take shape and to grow.  No matter what the outside of a person looks like, now matter what their situation is, they have real potential.. They can be who they want to be!  Scott says "the only disability in life is a bad attitude".  Scott has come to the point in his life where he is confident in where he is, where he's going and how he's going to get there!!  Now, Scott has turned his story and his struggles into motivation for others!  I'm so glad I've come to know Scott and I know that when you listen to this interview you will be happy and motivated yourself!  Defining how disability fits into his life was a choice Scott had to make in order to not be stopped by his challenges... and his story is proof that GREAT things are possible and new liberating definitions of your life can be written! 

Listen to my interview with Scott here: http://www.arcind.org/view-with-scott-chesney/

Scott is also a spokesperson for Rowheels! Check out their website here! http://www.rowheels.com/

Michelle Fischer is host of A View from my Window, a podcast produced by The Arc of Indiana

I don't have Autism.. I'm just doing what I love! -Talk Time host Reid Moriarty

When I met Reid Moriarty, host of Talk Time, I asked him why he liked being a podcast show host.  His lighthearted answer was, "I like to ask questions and hear people respond!"  And what a talented interviewer he is!  I instantly loved Reid and his mom Andrea when they walked into my studio.  It was like we had known each other forever and the conversation and chitchat was as easy as pie!  What struck me right away about Reid was how quickly and easily he said hello.  He looked at me, and stayed connected and was thrilled to be meeting me.. I was so touched, and honestly, that's what drew me to Reid.  I was also drawn to his witty, unencumbered curiosity as he interviewed me.  His life challenges don't precede him, but his passion, for his work and people, does!  Reid's mom, Andrea, accompanies him and watches over him like any other special needs mom does, but, what impressed me about her is that she does it in a way that dignifies him and shows him respect.  She wants him to enjoy life and keep that delightful personality and all the things that make Reid who he is, but she stays close enough to be there if he reaches a breaking point and needs a soft spot to fall.  Andrea writes about her experience in finding Reid's special interest and how that's helped him beat the odds that could seem to be stacked against him.  Instead, because he's living his dream, and has unbelievable support from those around him, his focus can continue to be on being unbelievably AWESOME!!

Listen to me interview Reid: http://www.arcind.org/a-view-with-podcast-host-reid-moriarty/
Get Andrea's book on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/One-Track-Mind-Amplify-Special-Interest/dp/0692533192/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452629683&sr=8-1&keywords=one-track+mind

Michelle Fischer is host of  A View from My Window, a podcast produced, by The Arc of Indiana

Behind the Mic Book Review: Life is Short (no pun intended) Bill Kleinand Jen Arnold

Since I started watching the Little Couple in 2009, I've never missed an episode and whenever I have to wait for a new season to start, it seems like an eternity!!  I find myself missing Bill, Jen, Will and Zoey.  So, when I saw that they had a book coming out, I knew I had to read it.  This book made me cry, so hard at times, because of this family's determination to allow nothing to deter them from enjoying life, love and parenthood!  Life is very challenging and rocky at times, but it's your reaction to those challenges that determines how successful you are in overcoming them.  Bill and Jen have had their share of challenges, that's for sure.  They've had to deal with the physical challenges of their dwarfism, which included countless surgeries and recoveries, but also the challenges that come with life in an average sized world.  This book takes you through their lives, from both Bill and Jen's perspectives, including all the ups and downs.  From the highest of highs which included Jen getting her dream job of becoming a doctor in pediatric and neonatal medicine, finding the love of her life when she least expected it and having the chance to adopt two of the cutest, funniest kids from two different countries.  One of her lowest points was a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis during the time they were going through the adoption process.  Bill had felt like he wanted to end it all before he met Jen.  The overall theme of this book is there will be challenges that try to knock you down, but you can overcome them if you drown out the noise of negative thinking, feeling sorry for yourself or people telling you that you won't ever be able to accomplish what you want.  Bill and Jen have risen up to the challenge, and look how their life has turned out!!  They were both told growing up that they could do whatever they wanted in accomplishing their own individual dreams, and now together...well, the attitude of "Nothing is Impossible"  has double the power!  This book is one of the best books I've read.  You laugh, cry, cheer and smile all at the same time.  Bill and Jen's short stature hasn't stopped them from accomplishing incredibly BIG, above average dreams!!! 

Bill, Jen, Will and Zoey...Thank you for sharing your story and your lives with all your fans!  All of you are a shining example of what it means to take life by the horns and run with it!! :) :)

Hurry! Get the book here!  http://www.amazon.com/Life-Short-No-Pun-Intended/dp/1476794774/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1454977934&sr=1-1&keywords=life+is+short

Michelle Fischer is the host of A View from My Window a podcast produced by The Arc of Indiana