Daily Lessons from Life 29-30 August 2013 - Thai teen who lost legs in MRT accident is back on her feet

Was too tied up and tired to do anything last night and so here is a catch-up. "Thai teen who lost legs in MRT accident is back on her feet - Aug 30, 2013 The New Paper Two years ago, she was hit by an MRT train and lost both legs. Today, the effervescent Nitcharee Peneakchanasak, 17, is back on her feet, walking everywhere on prosthetic legs and keeping busy while improving her mobility. Last month, she placed second at a talent contest for the physically disabled known as Miss Wheelchair Thailand 2013. At the contest, she sang and answered questions, one of which was: Why do you think you can be in the top three? She told The New Paper that she answered: "I am being myself, with confidence and thinking positively. "I set goals. When other people are weak, I try to be the inspiration.""I feel great," she said in English, of her eventual placing. The teen is in Singapore for five days to meet her lawyers and to attend a gala dinner of the Rotary Club, which has been helping her directly since the April 2011 incident." Indeed she is an effervescent young lady! I admire her and truly a role model for 'how not to sulk about how life has been unfair and cruel!' Lessons for me are: 1. life can be cruel and unpredictable. Bad things can happen to innocent people who are simply going about their ordinary lives; 2. while it is natural to be angry and bitter about why such misfortune had befallen upon one, it will be a bigger tragedy if one cannot get out of the trap of 'blaming life and fate and lamenting incessantly how unlucky one is'. It will paralyse you and bring more suffering and miseries to those who love and care about you. So, there is a need to snap out of the self-pity or/and bitterness vicious downward spiral; 3. this young lady has shown the way. Even when I first read about the accident, I already found an effervescent young lady unwilling, or maybe unable, to bow to this cruel fate that took away her legs. Sure some people may point to the many donors who gave money to help in her surgeries and recovery and rehabilitation journey. If some of them think or believe that this is why she can still be so positive, they have probably over-estimated the monetary help extended, and unwittingly devalued the indomitable spirit of this life-loving young lady's heart and determination to 'make the best of the worst situation'. Is can be done with sheer will power. It is hard but it can be done. She has shown the way. May many who had lemons thrown at them from fate or life be inspired by her truly remarkable story. I wished the accident never happened but it did. She gets on with life, how about you?