Depending on your perception, life can be a hard and cruel existence. You can go out into the world with the best of intentions, just to get slapped down by the inevitable hardships and devastation of life.
When you find yourself on the down side of life, whether it’s catastrophic or simply inconvenient, it can be so easy to get caught up in the struggle and become consumed with depressive feelings and negative thoughts.
This mentality develops when your perception is limited to your current situation. If you cannot bring yourself to see beyond what’s wrong in the moment, you will not be able to move past it. But when you are able to see that no matter how bad things look right now, there is more to life than the bad circumstances…. When you make the choice to see beyond your misfortune and believe in a better future, you create miracles in your life.
I talk about this concept a lot because I feel so passionately about it. J.R. Martinez is the epitome of this beautiful concept and I am proud to feature him on my site. I recently saw him in an interview on The Ellen Show where learned about his incredible story. I was so inspired that I just had to share.
Enjoy this video of the beauty that exudes from this amazing man.
I hadn’t heard of J.R. before seeing this interview, but after only a few minutes I fell in love with him! Witnessing the way his mind works and laughing at his quick wit instantly made me want to be friends with him. He’s so funny and cool and POSITIVE, that he makes the perfect candidate for someone I definitely want to be around!
My two favorite things he said are, “Life goes on and I don’t know what the purpose of this is, but if I have a good attitude, if I stay positive, if I continue to smile every single day something good will happen to me and all this will make sense.” That’s my motto for ANY hardship in life!…. And I just loved it when he said, “You can see scars, but it’s really what’s beneath that, that makes a big difference and makes the person who they are.” I have learned the truth in that statement more in the past few years than ever before in my life. And I am proud to say that no matter how many times I acknowledged it as cliche in the past, everyday I learn how to live more from the inside out and it serves me better than any of the false beliefs I used to live by.
The fact that he is employed as an actor in an industry that is fueled by the harsh (and many times unrealistic) standards of beauty and overall outward appearance, yet still representing such a beautiful message of the power of inner beauty, a positive mindset and pure joy is an incredible inspiration. I strive to be that very representation to the people in my own life and I am grateful for inspiring people like J.R. that keep me fueled.
Share your thoughts in the comments: What inspires you most about J.R.? How do you maintain a positive mindset in challenging situations?
Peace, Love & Inspiration,
~Alexis~
Terrific post, Alexis.
I have been watching JR on “Dancing with the Stars” this season. He is remarkable! Not only is he a great dancer, but his spirit is refreshing, supportive and uplifting. One of his dances had the audience (and the judges!) in tears.
I suppose sometimes it takes a great tragedy to bring out the best in us. I’m not sure what kind of individual JR was prior to his accident, but he certainly had evolved into the kind of man we can all admire.
Thanks Doreen. I haven’t seen him on Dancing With the Stars because I don’t usually watch that show, but I would be willing to watch it for him! I’m sure he’s refreshing. And yes, he is definitely admirable! That’s the blessing in the tragedy. I love it. 🙂
What strikes me most about J.R. is his sense of determination and his unwillingness to show despair. Certainly he must, at times, feel it, but he overcomes. That, to me, is the key… A great line in song I heard once went like this: “Failure’s not about falling down. Failure’s about staying down.” J.R. proves that every day.
That is so true Michael, I totally agree. As long as we can get back up, we will succeed, and he is definitely a great example of that. Thanks for sharing.
What an amazing man–I had never heard of him before and I’m so glad you shared his story with us. It’s all about attitude and I frequently wonder why some people are defeated by relatively minor disappointments while others survive heartrending experiences and become stronger in the process! Love your blog and I’ll be back!
That’s a good question. I think the people who are defeated by the small things are lacking that inspiration or support that sparks a light within in them to move forward. If you are stuck in the depression of your current situation and you don’t have some sort of positive force surrounding you and encouraging you to be better, you will inevitably stay there. Like he mentioned his mom having a good talk with him. I have the same support in my mom when I get discouraged. And being able to witness his story helps me even more because nothing I’ve been through can be compared to burning alive, so he’s an incredible inspiration to always keep in mind. That’s exactly why I share the things I share here, to be that light, that glimmer of hope and inspiration for people who wouldn’t normally have it. Thanks for your feedback Sandra.
Hi Alexis. Wow. That is a great post!! You know it is hard NOT to be inspired if you just look around. Thanks for sharing about J.R.
Peace.
Mike
That’s a good point Mike! I’ve been reading the 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse by Debbie Ford and she talks about how common it is to be plagued with negative thoughts and NOT be inspired by simple things like just looking around them, like you suggested, because we all have so many layers of embedded negative thinking from our parents, society, our environment and everything else. Luckily we are in an age where people are waking up and pulling off those layers and we have such inspirational stories like this to glean from. Thanks Mike.
What an amazing survivor story! I had seen J.R. briefly on Dancing with the Stars but had no idea what the back story was on his injuries. Thanks for sharing his inspirational story.
Alexis: I have loved getting to know this fine gentleman’s story. You are right-what an inspiration he is and reminds us all how precious life is.
Very inspiring story on a remarkable man. I saw him on Ellen too; all I could think of… he is one positive soul. As hard as it is to overcome obstacles, he makes it possible with the right attitude! Thanks for sharing, great post.
That was simply inspiring, Alexis! I, too, love what he said. Having a good attitude and learning to see the better things in life is the best way to approach things, no matter how challenging it can be. Lots of us (myself included) tend to complain and be miserable about the most trivial things. J. R. Martinez’s attitude towards his ordeal has become a reminder to me that our lives are not what other people make it. It is what we make it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing that.
Yes, he is that same reminder for me. Thanks Adeline.
This is also my first time of hearing about J.R. It’s not what’s on the outside that makes us better but that which is on the inside. Looking for every form of positivity out of any negative situation encourages me and keeps me focused. Thanks for this post Alexis.
That is exactly why I love stories of success against all odds. They keep me encouraged and focused on my dreams as well. Thanks Lanre.
Alexis,
I agree that is a wonderful story and something we should all live by. I always say just keep it moving. I think of a quote from Winston Churchill, “If you find yourself going through hell, keep going.” This is what I go by, just keep going. Don’t sit back and sulk, you could look up and find that years have gone by. I also agree that our lives are what we make it.
Thanks for the great post.
Happy blogging,
Jenn
I love that quote. That is exactly what you have to do! Thanks Jennifer.
I recently saw J.R. on Dancing with the Stars and I wondered what his story was. Thank you so much for sharing. He is truly an amazing individual.
Thanks Karen. Yes, he’s definitely amazing!