176 Gratitude; First Step To Happy Even If You’re Paralyzed Says Meg Johnson

Meg Johnson is a wife, mother, motivational speaker, author, teacher, artist and SO much more. She was paralyzed in 2004 as the result of jumping off a cliff - an accidental decision which turned out to completely change her life in every way.  Meg now inspires others across the world with her videos, appearances, and written word. She has incredible energy and knows her purpose.

Contact Info

• Website: www.megjohnsonspeaks.com
• Podcast: Heart Smiles
• Newsletter: Meg's Monthly Message

Most Influential Person

• Jesus Christ

Effect on Emotions

• It helps me to keep them reigned in [my emotions] because sometimes I like to be a little hot tempered. I just have to take a step back and understand that people just don't understand sometimes and that I really do have limits and I really do have strengths and so when I focus on my strengths and really focus on my limits to, like okay this is as far as I can go then I don't get upset when I don't have more to offer because I already know that I have given all I can and I can be satisfied with that.

Thoughts on Breathing

• When I do get upset I like to go outside and take deep breaths because the fresh air seems a little bit easier to slow down my breathing so that I can gulp some more air and calm down. So that does help me.

Suggested Resources

• Book: The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in The Bible
• App: None

Mindfulness Meets Bullying Story

Something that we don't really think about as often is adult bullying that happens. This is just one experience but I have many. It just comes with the wheels.

I went to a big church function. It was a really big Christian church function and it was at a big event center where they have basketball games. It was really big. So I went there and I was trying to find a seat but all of the wheelchair sections were taken with people in wheelchairs and their companions. I couldn't find a place to sit, which is unusual.

My husband asked if he could carry me to a seat that was a little bit higher and they told him 'no'. Then we went outside to a place we knew just went to the ground level and it was more for the elite people. We were taking a chance because we really wanted to be at this giant Christian event. We went around and the lady who was guarding the door just said 'no, we're not going to let you in'.

We tried to explain to her that they wouldn't let us be carried to another seat and that I couldn't find a seat up there and we'd already been. She just said 'no'. She blamed it on us being too late and all the dignitaries were already in there. So they had to close it off so that no one else could go in and that it was a safety issue.

We said we understood that and we were leaving and as we were leaving we watched her let someone else in who of course had arrived late also. So we were just not able to go. That just happens every once in a while.

More Mindfulness Nuggets

I walked for twenty-two years so I made it a little bit into adulthood, walking and I know what it feels like for people to get the door for you because you're pretty and that's just how it is. After I was paralyzed, people got the door for me for an entirely different reason. People don't see me as pretty initially. They see the wheelchair and I understand that and that's okay.

I do recognize that I'm treated differently by adults. Children are pretty much interested in everybody, so that's not too much of a hardship at all. Adults are a little bit hard on people in wheelchairs; not all of them. Please know that I'm not talking about everybody.