Do you ever get so deep into Facebook stalking that when you finally do come up for air and realize where you are at in cyberspace, you begin to wonder why you ever got there? Or how? Like how did you go from watching a funny video to a segment from an Ellen DeGeneres show from 10 years ago to incredibly deep quotes from people you never even knew existed on a page that you never thought would strike your interest? And even though you have no clue how you got there, it kind of gave you a little glimmer of hope for mankind and that made those lost 20 minutes incredibly worth it. Because worlds that seem on opposite sides of the spectrum can take some words, the exact same words actually, and turn them into a ray of hope. Might have completely different meanings to each of us, but we both still created a little bit of light. And in the world we live in? We have to take all the glimmers & rays of hope that we can get because one day that might be our only light.

“Freedom is just as contagious as fear; we just aren’t exposed to it enough”. Yah. Read that again because that’s a powerful quote right there. And what’s even better is that “Freedom” can be swapped out with so many words. Faith. Happiness. Bravery. Just to name a few. All are just as strong & complete the quote just as much as the next one but I am going to have to say swapping out “freedom” for “bravery” is my favorite. Because when we see someone persevere after traveling an impossibly hard & winding path, we begin to think that maybe we could make it too if we were in their shoes. It gives us the courage to refuse to give up despite all the odds that are being stacked up against us. And even though we have every right to give up & let the fear consume us, that little bit of exposure showed us that if we look hard enough there is probably another path that we haven’t discovered yet. It might get scary & you might consider turning around a time or two, but you need to keep that end goal in mind. Remember what you’re fighting for. Because that drive makes you a little more brave & the path a little less scary. And people will notice that & then BAM. You just started a ripple effect. An opportunity for splashes to turn into waves because people will choose to be brave instead of being scared. And the more battles you go into, even if you don’t win, is inspiring someone else.

The world is full of scare tactics. On television & on the internet & during the ads of snap chat. And when we continue to read more & more of them, we tend to get more & more afraid to go for it. Because they all fail to mention how far the mountain climber got before he slipped. They prioritize the fall for the entire piece instead of mentioning any of speck of bravery they had for doing the climb in the first place. And because of that, we let the fear infect us & spread. So today I’m challenging you to not let the infection that is fear spread any farther than it already has. To put on a brave face & know that your bravery is contagious. That it won’t go unnoticed. To stop spreading “I wish I could, but I can’t” stories & start spreading hope about how you tried. Because trying, even though you didn’t accomplish exactly what you originally had planned to do, doesn’t mean you’re a failure or a loser. It just means you have a map for the next time. And please, please, please make sure there is a next time. Because no one ever got where they were going by giving up. Spread your bravery around & spread it on thick. And start being the change you want to see in the world.

#TheOneLeggedMommy #FacebookStalker #Amputee #Freedom #Bravery #Fear #NecrotizingFasciitis #AllysonStoner #CyberSpace #HipDisarticulation #Creeper #ILoveThis #EmilyStrong @Alyson Stoner