The Human Potential…

… I was reminded again this last week of the amazing potential of the human spirit to overcome whatever life happens to deal them.  I attended a wonderful conference sponsored by the MIT Media Lab called h2.0; new minds, new bodies, new identities.  It was an information rich, inspirational experience.  The host was American journalist John Hockenberry.  I’m sure he was selected, not only for his endearing live interview style, and wit,… but as a paraplegic he represented the very soul of this day-long event.  The way John puts it, he has enjoyed life to its fullest the 19 years before his accident, as well as the 30-plus years since.  It’s just different he says, but it has never held him back, evidenced by his four Emmy’s and three Peabody Awards.  And while one might be prompted to say he was exceptional, it wasn’t until the day at Kresge Auditorium wrapped up that I began to see John as just one example of the potential within all humans to embrace personal, physical challenges,… and in so doing, rally motivation for others.

The day was filled with a mixture of researchers, scientists, and other professionals,… around a common theme of ‘new’ innovations which augment/enhance the capabilities of an individual, and the success stories they have created.  For example, Tod Machover, professor of music and media at the MIT Media Lab, talked about how music can enable expression.  He introduced an animated young gentleman named Dan Ellsey with cerebral palsy, who was able to play a musical piece he had created using Machover’s composition software and a specially adapted light that he wore on a head band.  Talk about having people on the edge of their seats, the place was in awe as he twisted and bobbed his head to create chords, tempo and emphasis just like an orchestra conductor.  And the biggest treat of all was to see the huge smile fill his face at the end, in response to our standing ovation.  Here was potential, tremendous potential, lying untapped until inventors like Machover discover appropriate tools/technologies to release it.

Another fella that blew me away was Doug Smith, a Neurosurgery professor and Director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania.  He showed us how his lab has been successfully growing nerve fibers in culture,… you heard me, nerve fibers.  And if that wasn’t enough, they have taken these nerve constructs and used them to repair large lesions associated with spinal cord injuries in laboratory animals…!  Is this a cure for spinal chord injuries…? Not yet but it shows great promise.  In the afternoon session a panel of three people, all with various physical challenges, took the stage.  Each was delightful in the positive perspective they had on their limitations (they really don’t even see them as such),… but one is worth mentioning, Aimee Mullins.  One reason she stood out is that she walked on stage in 6-inch stilettos and stood above the other two by quite a bit.  A double amputee from age 3, Aimee has found success as a photo model, an actress, a world-record-setting athlete and currently the president of the Woman’s Sports Foundation.  Aimee talked about how nice it is to have different legs for different purposes, she has ten sets in all,… joking that she felt sorry for the rest of us that have to get by with just one set of legs.  She spoke convincingly of possibility and potential, especially in light of the inventions that preceded her on the agenda.

It was truly an amazing day.  I am encouraged and proud to see science put to such noble use,… to harvest the potential of a person to be all that they can be.  There isn’t one way to see, or hear, or walk, talk or whatever,… there are many ways to experience the world around us, and the people at this conference are working towards that end.  It may involve attaching something (as in a prosthetic), inserting something (like a cochlear implant), or adding something (a wheel chair).  Each unleashes a new wave of potential,… and the human spirit responds.  Feel the pride…?

Comments

[Chris Lyons]

This is a wonderful post. My profession is helping people from all walks of life to unleash the amazing potential available to them. In my experience it is interesting to hear of some people who have been given so much in their lives that they take it for granted and throw it all away. There are some out there that have so much opportunity and so many resources and they spend all their time and energy complaining about how terrible life is and how much the world owes them. Contrast this with some of the outstanding individuals with seemingly very little opportunity and enormous odds stacked against them. I have met some people in this situation who, despite everything they have experienced, have become alchemists and turned adversity into enormous opportunity.

The same goes for the amazing people who come up with the technologies and strategies for enhancing and enriching the lives of those with unfortunate circumstances both physically and mentally. An example is the single legged sprinters. At first they competed in the paralympics because they were at a disadvantage due to their disability. Now they are separated into the paralympics for a different reason, they are considered to be bordering on having an unfair advantage. The records for amputees below the knee are nearing those for able bodied sprinters. Disabled or extra-abled? It's a combination of the wonderful technology created to enable them better performance and the enhanced spirit these people have due to the fact they are pushing limits beyond the realm of the "average Joe".

It's not just the physical technology either, it's the advances of the capacity of the human mind to reach levels of achievement that were previously unheard of. The reason this is on the rise is because the human mind looks for something to back up the task they are trying to achieve, they need a reference. The four minute mile was once deemed impossible until Roger Bannister did it, after that it became a common occurrence. This is what I'm talking about, they had something to reference to that made it instantly attainable in everyone's mind.

This is the same as what is happening to those with a physical disadvantage. They were once considered to be invalids who had to remain under the care of someone else. Now these people are creating new levels to relate to, when one person reaches a certain level, another believes they can push just beyond it and so on. This has created an amazing evolution of human potential, both in technology/the power to create and in our belief/faith in our own capabilities.

This is exactly what I aim to teach and pass on through my seminars and website. I am dedicated to helping people excel and exceed limits that were previously thought of as impossible or only attainable by a select few. It is this generation that has the opportunity to create, evolve and attain peace, harmony and balance both in our own selves and our global and local environment. Who knows what we will find as everyday activities in the future. Maybe our potential will have reached a higher level again and what these people are doing now will become easy and there will be new limits to exceed.

Are there really even limits to human potential? How far can we develop technology and ourselves before it ceases to rise? This is my obsession, to develop and pass on the strategies for applying yourself to a potential previously unbelieved. This is for all areas of life and all types of people.

Once again, great post, it gives us all some positive encouragement and reminds us that we have all the resources available, it's just a matter of how we use them and the decisions we make along the way. You can create a life of your own design or you can hope for it to show up every once in a while. Life and opportunity must be moulded and created through concious thought, caring and desire.

Regards,

Chris Lyons.
http://www.endlesshumanpotential.com/