By Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.
September is National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, a time to recognize the more than 300,000 Americans living with a traumatic spinal cord injury and to remember that behind every statistic is a person whose life has changed dramatically.
My life changed on June 13, 1998.
I was riding my bicycle when a 7,000-pound tree fell on me, leaving me paralyzed from the waist down. In an instant, the life I knew was gone. I would never walk again, and I faced a future filled with changes I had never anticipated.
But I made a decision early in my recovery: I was going to take back my life.
My husband, Mark Leder, was riding with me that day. He rescued me from beneath the tree and stayed by my side through the trauma, hospitalization, and two years of rehabilitation. He has continued to support me throughout the many changes and challenges we have faced.
Recovery was not simply about physical rehabilitation. It was about rebuilding my life. I had to learn new ways to do everyday activities, navigate environments from a wheelchair, refocus my career, and confront the emotional impact of becoming a person with a disability.
The home we were living in was not accessible. We decided to build a new home that would accommodate our needs and serve as a national demonstration home and garden. We led the design team, served as the general contractors, and built the Universal Design Living Laboratory. (www.UDLL.com)
Shortly after my injury, I started writing monthly inspirational articles. I was encouraged to write Take Back Your Life! Regaining Your Footing After Life Throws You a Curve, which included twenty of my articles.
As a keynote speaker, I share my story and the lessons I learned with audiences. My presentation, Unbreakable: Cultivating Professional and Personal Resilience in a World of Disruption, focuses on the factors that helped me adapt, persevere, and create a fulfilling life after my injury.
The Five Lessons I Live By
1. Do something new every day.
Break routines and welcome small changes. Trying something new, even something simple, helps build adaptability. When life forces major changes upon you, being comfortable with change can become an important strength.
2. Focus on a hopeful future, not on self-pity.
It is natural to grieve. But I learned that I could choose where to direct my mental energy. Rather than continually dwelling on my misfortune, I focused on what my future could become.
3. Believe the impossible just might be possible.
Keep an open mind about what you can accomplish. I could have accepted other people’s assumptions about what a wheelchair user could or could not do. Instead, I challenged limitations and looked for possibilities
4. Allow more time to get things done, and be patient with yourself.
Life after a spinal cord injury taught me that some things take longer. Patience with yourself is essential when facing physical, emotional, or unexpected challenges.
5. To lower your stress, lower your expectations of other people.
We cannot control how other people think, behave, or respond. I have learned that letting go of expectations of how others should act can reduce frustration and disappointment.
Facing adversity? Start here:
- Take responsibility for your life.
- Accept what you cannot change and change what you can.
- Break challenges into smaller steps.
- Build your support network and ask for help.
- Look for solutions rather than dwelling on limitations.
- Adapt and keep learning.
- Set new goals based on your current reality.
- Keep moving forward.
- Celebrate every victory, including the small ones.
My spinal cord injury challenged me to discover strengths I didn’t know I possessed. Taking back your life doesn’t mean returning to the life you had before adversity. It means creating a meaningful life from where you are now.
About Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., is a globally recognized speaker, consultant, and author known for her expertise in resilience, accessibility, and universal design.
She became a prominent figure after surviving a life-changing spinal cord injury in 1998 that left her paralyzed from the waist down.
Speaking from her wheelchair, she captivates audiences with her resilience and actionable strategies for coping with change and adversity. Despite her challenges, she has inspired many, focusing on helping others and promoting inclusive design in public and private spaces.
Rosemarie is a trusted accessibility consultant for associations and corporations. She helps meeting professionals create inclusive experiences to accommodate people with disabilities.
One of her most notable achievements is the creation of the Universal Design Living Laboratory, her home that she and her husband designed and built to be fully accessible and serve as a model for others. This is the top-rated universal design home in North America.
Rosemarie is a motivational speaker, and she frequently shares her story and expertise at conferences and events, inspiring others to overcome adversity and live independent lives.
She is available for keynote presentations, motivational programs, corporate and association events, conferences, educational programs, and customized presentations on resilience, overcoming adversity, personal empowerment, accessibility, disability inclusion, and universal design.