Two Hands

“Adversity is not an optional item on life’s menu. We live in a fast and dangerous world. At some point, life’s not going to go as planned. You will face adversity. A proper response to adversity, on the other hand, is optional.

We don’t know on what scale, what the event might be, or when it will happen, but we can pretty much guarantee that at some point the wind will blow, the rain will fall. It might be in an instant, it might develop over time, but at some point, adversity WILL happen.

Don’t seek adversity—but don’t fear it either. Think of the most amazing person that you admire in history; more than likely, you’ll find that adversity happened before the amazing unfolded. Embrace your challenges! The way that you choose to respond to what happens on any scale will truly define who you are or who you’ll become in life.

As I begin to reflect back on this life-changing experience, I write these words today from where it all began. I’m back in Pierce, Idaho at “The Outback,” the clean, cozy, mini-resort that my parents founded when I was in high school. I haven’t spent a lot of time here since because they sold it a few years after I left home. The memories flooded back last night as I began to replay in my mind the first few times my dad let me ride one of the snowmobiles from his rental fleet. It’s amazing to think back on how powerful I thought that liquid cooled 600cc machine was! I never dreamed I would someday ride not only a liquid cooled, but turbo-charged 1000cc sled with sponsor logos down the side.

I walked out this morning and looked over where the rental fleet used to line up. In that spot now sits the log cabin suite that my dad, brothers, and I built. With two hands, we had stacked each log and drove each lag. With two hands, we filled each crack, painted the trim, and put the finishing touches on a beautiful cabin. How many things do we all do in life every day that require two hands? I had done them all without thinking twice, assuming that I would always have two hands. Go with me to an average day in our lives. We use two hands all day long without thinking twice.

Now, take one away. Open a jar; it just spins on the counter. Peel a banana; you can’t hold it and peel. Open a ziplock bag; you can’t hold the bag in place and unzip at the same time. Open a bottle of water; the bottle turns instead of the cap. Cut a steak; there’s nothing to hold it in place. Turn the pages in this book with nothing to hold it in place. Type every word you’re reading with just one hand. It can be done. I’m not whining or complaining; I use my knees to hold jars and bottles. I use my teeth to twist off caps, peel back wrappers, open envelopes, hold the laundry in place to fold it, and much more. I use my feet to pry things open, hold a door in place, scoot myself into bed, push off of things, and much more.

It’s amazing what you find that you can do without two hands, when life gives you no choice but to learn. Next time you struggle to find something to be thankful for in life, be thankful that you have two hands. I’m sure my friends out there living with just one hand would agree, the little stuff in life matters more, and we see life through a whole new lens.

I don’t suggest that you worry and plan for the worst. But think about how you’ll respond if the worst happens. Don’t just think about losing a hand. I encourage you to have the confidence to know how you would respond in the midst of any significant adversity. I didn’t plan on struggling to walk, fighting my mind, or losing the use of an arm.

I didn’t dream of one day writing a book with one hand. I didn’t plan to write a book at all! Becoming a motivational speaker and life coach was not in my career plan. All of these things are shaping my new life—and because of my proper response, I’m living a more fulfilled life today than I even knew existed before. There’s a lot that I can’t do, but I’ve discovered that in my physical condition, writing, speaking, encouraging, investing in lives—all of these are things that I can do.

Henry Ford once said: “One of the great discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find out that he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” I’ve always enjoyed writing. My greatest surprise has been watching my life become a story worth writing about; a story that brings a new perspective on our two hands. I started writing this book in an application on my smartphone lying in bed each night. Then I bought a laptop and kept typing. It was somewhat overwhelming initially, but God told me to write this book.

Before the avalanche, I could type somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty words per minute. Every word you read was keyed in with my one hand, and it wasn’t keyed at anywhere near fifty words per minute. I’m not complaining, I just slowly dance around the keyboard and never forget that my hands only do half of the work. My weak hand typed these words, but my strong heart wrote this book.

We use our hands to touch, to reach out, to grab, to hold, to hug, to shake, to direct, to paint, to design, to create, to express emotion. What if your hands can’t—can your heart?”