#matteobocellit

Greeting my friends. I wanted to share with a number of people have disabilities who have very much inspired me to reach for stars and go beyond them and to exceed expectations. One quote that I keep close to me when I think about these people and even in regard to myself is “Do not go where the path my lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) In a nut shell, at least in my eyes, this quote means create to your own path. You are in charge of your own destiny. Write your story that others can draw inspiration from so that they can then create their own path. An extremely positive cycle and one that will create a better world. Here are just a few people who have inspired me to create my own path and leave a trail.

Andrea Bocelli    

Source- Photo Description- Andrea Bocelli has a teal background behind him. He is smiling. He is wearing a dark burgundy collar dress shirt. His left hand lays on the dark platform while the right gently placed in the middle of his left bicep.   

Andrea Bocelli is an Italian tenor singer and songwriter. He was born September 22, 1958 in Lajatico, Italy. He is considered one of the worlds most talented singers. Andrea Bocelli was born with congenital glaucoma which left him partially blind. He lost his remaining vision at the age of 12 due to a blow to the head during a game.

The interesting thing about Andrea Bocelli is that he didn’t begin his singer until the 1980s. Before that, he obtained a law degree from the University of Pisa and became a court appointed lawyer after graduation. He initially began playing piano in a variety of venues throughout Italy. He is also able to play the flute and saxophone. Bocelli fame exploded when  Luciano Pavarotti, an esteemed tenor opera singer, heard the recording of a demo tape of "Miserere" that Bocelli has done. In the end, Pavarotti and Bocelli wound up singing Miserere together and it was a tremendous success Eurepe wide.

I am a huge fan of Andrea Bocelli. He is my idol. My favorite songs sung by him are “Nelle Tue Mani” which translates to “in your hand” and the new song he sang with his son Matteo called “Fall on Me”.

Mr. Bocelli if you are reading this I truly admire you because with the power of your voice and all who stood with you, you were able achieve great things. You grew wings not just to fly, but to sore.  

Molly Burke

Source- Photo Description- Molly Burke smiling. She has both hands proper under either side of her face. She is wearing a grey fuzzy sweater. She also has pink hair. 

If you need some inspiration and pep to perk up you day, head on over to Molly Burks channel on YouTube and watch all of her videos. Molly was born on February 8, 1994 in Toronto, Canada. She was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa which is a rare degenerative retinal disease. One of the most amazing things I admire about Molly is that first, she loves to help other people and two, she faced struggle and hardship, but she didn’t let it destroy her. She found the strength and endurance to face her challenges head on and overcome them.

In addition to being a Youtuber, Molly is also a motivational speaker; sharing her story and inspiring millions.

If I may recommend specific videos to watch, Molly recently uploaded a 10-episode series on her channel titled “The 10 Year Journey” where she shares the story of doing what other, including herself, thought she couldn’t do. You won’t regret it.          

Steven Hawking

Source- Photo Description of Steven Hawking smiling in his power wheelchair. 

Steven Hawking is another individual who I absolutely admire and who inspires me to go beyond my physical limits.

Steven hawking was born on January 8 1942 in Oxford, United Kingdon. Hawking was the former Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and author of A Brief History of Time which is an international bestseller. He was also Dennis Stanton Avery and Sally Tsui Wong-Avery Director of Research at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and Founder of the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge.

In 1963, Hawking was diagnosed with slow-progressing form ofmotor neurone disease (MND. This disease is also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis "ALS" or Lou Gehrig's disease). When Hawking was diagnosed, he was given only 2 years to live  because ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This disease left Hawking paralyzed and unable to have control of his body. This is particularly why Hawking inspires me. Hawking was paralyzed and he knew that one asset he had left was his brain. His brain was still as sharp at ever. Hawking wrote many books and came up with some of the world most thrilling theories such as his theory of black holes and the origin of the universe.   

These people I mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other people with disabilities who have done amazing things and have written their own story. One in particular that I didn’t mention was Louis Braille who created the Braille code so that blind and visually impaired individuals would be able to read and write and have access to education.