FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Achievement by Optimism

One Comment by Eve Allease on 1st Nov 2011

http://www.theurbn.com/tag/food-for-thought/

Original Image ca. 1907 Helen Keller Reading Braille Book Near Window Image by ©CORBIS

In the winter of 1882, a high fever left a 19- month old Helen Keller deaf and blind. At age 6 she began her instruction of sign language with Annie Sullivan of the Perkins Schoolfor the Blind. Helen’s willful and bright spirit, along with Ms. Sullivan’s caring and perseverance, paved a brilliant way to to a successful life. She learned how to communicate very well, read, and eventually authored her own autobiography.

Keller went on to become a world-famous speaker and author. She is remembered as an advocate for people with disabilities, amid numerous other causes. She was a suffragist, a pacifist, an opponent of Woodrow Wilson, a radical socialist and a birth control supporter. In 1915 she and George Kessler founded the Helen Keller International (HKI) organization. This organization is devoted to research in vision, health and nutrition. In 1920 she helped to found the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Keller traveled to over 39 countries with Sullivan, making several trips to Japan and becoming a favorite of the Japanese people. Keller met every U.S. President from Grover Cleveland to Lyndon B. Johnson and was friends with many famous figures, including Alexander Graham Bell, Charlie Chaplin and Mark Twain. Keller and Mark Twain were both considered radicals at the beginning of the 20th century, and as a consequence, their political views have been forgotten or glossed over in popular perception. (Source: Wikipedia)

Even after her death in 1968, Helen Keller has remained a positive role model for surpassing the odds. Filled with reverence and compassion for people, Helen’s life shows us that we can beat the odds, if we are willing.

As world citizens today facing the uncertain future, how are we equipping ourselves with the with knowledge, insights, and tools needed to make a positive impact within our lifetime and beyond? Is optimism enough? Does optimism ultimately lead to the confidence needed to navigate successfully in this world?

About Eve Allease

A native New Yorker and a New England transplant, Eve is a family and child mental health clinical therapist with a lifelong affinity for plants, knowledge, and words. Educated at Trinity College, USA and Simmons Graduate School of Social Work,...

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