017 – Disability Does Not Mean Inability with Roger Crawford

June 19, 2017 twodisableddudes

Sports Illustrated recognized Roger Crawford as “one of the most accomplished physically challenged athletes in the world.”  As a Hall of Fame speaker and best-selling author Roger teaches us how attitude affects outcomes.

Viktor E. Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist who was forced into a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, wrote many profound  statements on the ability to choose one’s own attitude, even in the harshest situations: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

 

Life can seem overwhelming and exhausting at times. It’s easy and even predictable for anyone facing the staggering uphill battle.

 

Someone who understands that clearly is Roger Crawford.

 

Roger gives us some incredible insights into changing your perspective on the world. Since he is a world-renowned tennis player, he shows us his perspective when he faces an able-bodied opponent in a tennis match: that he himself is actually the one with the advantage; that his opponent feels pressure not to lose to “this one legged guy with three fingers” as Roger puts it. So Roger’s goal was to keep the ball in play.

 

Without worrying about others’ reactions, Roger was fully able to focus on doing the best he could.

 

Of course, disability isn’t easy to completely overlook. Roger shares with us how humor has been a remedy for his own awkward and unknown situations.

 

We are grateful to have Roger as a guest and are encouraged by his words. He invites anyone listening to connect with him on social media by visiting his website rogercrawford.com, because navigating life with a disability is a complicated task. As someone in that position, Roger offers advice and understanding to all people.