Over the last few years I briefly had few short email exchanges but I always had him in the back of my head wondering exactly what the heck he's been doing. Obviously he has been doing something positive since the last time I took a peak at his blog because he just wrote a book about adversity. But as you can tell from the book title as seen in the picture, "Obstacle Illusions: Transforming Adversity into Success." His book is due out on March 17, 2011 on Amazon.
Why am I blogging about a guy who was born profoundly deaf who likes to do oral motivational and inspirational speeches? Simple. It's about hard work. It's about not being afraid of challenges in life. It's about his ability to transform his audience on adversity. The trials and challenges in life. It's about seeing life as one big challenge instead of seeing himself constantly as a victim blaming everyone and everything. It's not about using excuses as your crutch in life to get what you want. You can only go so far in life by playing the ever so perennial victim but the sky's the limit when you see life as one big challenge instead. Stephen Hopson is a human being who is not afraid to step up to the plate.
And, yes, he knows sign language. He's simply a guy not afraid to use his voice and use it as a source of inspiration for thousands of people who have come across his inspirational speeches. I'm simply drawn to positive and successful people who are not afraid of their own shadows.
What makes this situation even more unique is that you have an oral deaf guy who is an inspirational speaker where he finally wrote a book. Not often do you get to see a book written by a deaf guy who is not afraid to use his voice but a guy who actually embraces his ability to speak by sharing it with everybody he comes across with. Because whenever he speaks, people do listen. And listen closely they do.
I wrote a profound quote at the end of my adversity video blog that should ring true to anybody who reads it:
Adversity is not the same thing as overcoming oppression.
It's about overcoming obstacles in life successfully.
Mocking those who face adversity in a different way lack imagination.
5 comments:
That is a really good quote about adversity. Wow.
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Excellent article! The more risk you take the more you learn.
Russell
*LIKE*
Yah, Mike, I can understand why you blogged about Stephen Hopson. I agree with the word choice in regards to "SIMPLE" He continued to hit those curve balls thrown at him, and he kept on swinging. He continued to step up to the plate. He channeled his obstacles into opportunities which will lead him to his success. No victimization, no pointing fingers, just "simple" he has piloted his journey, not his destinaton.
Mike:
What a wonderful thing you just did to share with others what I've been doing.
I'm so grateful!
We are all in on this together - we are all of the same cloth, heading in the same direction. We each have unique talents to offer and we each have free will to choose how we will ride toward our dreams.
Thanks Mike!
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