Saw this video of a young man, not too much younger than me, and thought I would post the video.

If he can live well and with such a good attitude about life, despite the difficulties — and if his dad can do it with such fervor and passion, what do we have to complain about?

Article from MichaelHyatt.com

Born without eyes and with a tightening of the joints that prevents his limbs from ever straightening, Patrick has been blind and crippled from birth. Yes, despite these “disabilities,” he was playing requests on the piano at age two. As he grew older, his musical genius became evident. Along the way, he also become an accomplished trumpet player.

As I watched this video, I jotted down three take-aways:

1. Attitude is everything. Patrick doesn’t see his physical constraints as disabilities. In fact, he refers to them as abilities. Jason Fried, in his new book, Rework, says “Constraints are advantages in disguise. Limited resources force you to make do with what you’ve got. There’s no room for waste. And that forces you to be creative.”
2. Sometimes you just need a little help. The University of Louisville, where Patrick is a student, wanted him to play in the marching band. Only problem was that he couldn’t walk, let alone march. He was confined to a wheelchair. So, his dad agreed to attend all the practices and push him around the football field so Patrick could play his trumpet.
3. You have to focus on what you have. Patrick says, “God made me blind and unable to walk. Big deal. He gave me the musical gifts I have and and the great opportunity I have to meet new people.” He doesn’t whine about what he doesn’t have. He is grateful for what he has. Unlike so many people today, there’s not an ounce of entitlement in his voice.

Stories like Patrick’s are inspiring. He is taking his “five loaves and two fish” and feeding a multitude with inspiration. How about you? What are you doing with what you have been given?

Question: What did you take away from this video?