“Bro, Don’t Let Go!”

This is a Motivational Message that I wrote when I was in the hospital not too long ago, just haven’t gotten around to uploading it yet. 🙂

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

As I sit here in the hospital, I realize that most everything is out of my control and in the hands of doctors and nurses.  So, instead of telling you about another hospital experience, I wanted to tell you about the time that I went skiing, post-paralysis.

I was given the opportunity to speak at a fundraiser for the Colorado-based National Sports Center for the Disabled.  It turned out that the reward for giving the speech would be a free day of skiing in Winter Park.  I couldn’t help but think, “how in the world am I going to manage to ski?  Will I be in a toboggan that someone will push around the parking lot?”  I was wrong, of course—I was put into a “sit-ski,” which could be compared to a dog-sled; where a trained professional would ski behind me holding me upright and steering me down the slopes.  I was pretty sure that there was no way that I was going to entrust my life to a stranger; should they let go, I would be freefalling off some icy cliff crashing to my death!

In the end, I decided to suck it up and be brave, especially after I had watched several young children, with their unflinching faith and eager smiles softly skiing from side to side down the scenic mountain slope.  That next day they bundled me up and transferred me from the wheelchair to the sit-ski that had, from what I could tell, no balance without the assistance of another person.  The guides duct taped my hands together to prevent them from flopping out during the ride down the mountain.  My heart raced as two people lifted me off the ground so I could be slung in the air and onto the ski lift chair.  I teetered back and forth and as I said to myself, “you’re an idiot.”  Unfortunately, it was too late for me to turn back.  I was literally dumped off of the lift and landed at the top of the mountain, where we started to make our way down.  I yelled, “bro, don’t…let…go!”  It was so cold that my teeth started chattering, and believe it or not, my leg bag ended up freezing.  Within a few minutes, my fear was replaced by excitement and the feeling of freedom.  No wheelchair, just me and the slope.  Wouldn’t you know that I ended up going up the lift and skiing down the mountain several times?

More often than not, it’s good to relinquish control and trust others because we cannot always accomplish all that we want on our own.  I have come to understand that in my own life it takes a team; I need others that are better equipped than I am to complete certain tasks.  When I finally put my trust in the man who had my back, I was able to see the beauty and enjoy the experience.   If I had been set on not trusting my guide I would not have been able experience the joy and freedom of skiing.  That encounter relieved my fear of being out of control.  There is probably a fear that you have that has been holding you back—perhaps you have been too afraid to let someone take the reins because that would mean you are no longer the one in control.  If you do have a fear, I urge you to relax a little and let someone take over for a while.  Trusting others can be one of our greatest tools for accomplishing goals. 

I found a Bible verse in Proverbs that also helped me:

Proverbs v. 3, 5, 6: Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.  Acknowledge him and he will direct your path.

Also, a little greeting from the girls…

Roni and Gracie in costume!

To your inspiration,

Ron

A big thank-you to all that have helped out during this rough spot–I will be back on the road soon! 

To donate to the Never Give Up Ministry: https://www.ronheagy.com/donate-never-give-up.php

To donate to Ron and Family: https://www.ronheagy.com/donate-ron-heagy.php