At the age of 27, I lost 90% of my sight, over the course of six weeks. Needless to say, this was a very traumatic experience that radically changed the course of my entire life. When admitted to the hospital, I was a normal kid, working out, eagerly planning a family with my girlfriend and about to interview for my dream job. When I left the hospital six weeks later, people were offering their seats to me in the bus.

I’ll write more about my experiences in later posts. For now, however, I’ll recommend a transformative book that assisted me in building resilience to bounce back.

Coming alive out of the acute phase, I spent many hours reading books, many books. I read to make sense of the experience, to explore and to find my feet again. Many books left a fleeting impression, but one stood out: “Resilience” by Eric Greitens. Not being able to read on paper, I bought the audio version of the book late 2015 and it resonated deeply with me.

Based on wisdom from Ancient and modern thinkers, the former navy seal, Eric Greitens shares Stories, reflections and practical exercises to help readers cultivate resilience when facing adversity. The book is structured around a series of letters that Greitens wrote to a fellow seal, who faced serious difficulties in the transition to civilian life.

Like all other books, every reader will make their own

I was particularly inspired by three letters; Responsibility, Models and Vocation.

Responsibility

In the letter “Responsibility” Greitens writes about taking full responsibility for life no matter how fearful that might be, and how your own excuses and those offered by others can provide relief of facing those fears.

  living with less than 10% remaining sight people offer me well intended excuses all the time. There is an implicit, and sometimes even explicit suggestion, that I don’t have to meet the same standard as fully sighted individuals, even if those standards are not related to tasks that require sight. Accepting those excuses is tempting, but I’ve almost always avoid it.

While not novel in any way, the quote: “You are not responsible for what happens to you in life, but you are responsibrle for how you react to the things that happens to you in life” in this letter, stuck with me.

Models

In the letter “Models” Greitens write about mirroring individuals that have experienced challenges that are similar to your own. I’ve found that to be a very effective tactic for getting unstuck and growing. Your pains are not unique and there is a chance that hundreds, if not thousands have experienced similar pains.

I found a model in Amy Purdy. Amy Purdy was a recreational snowboarder when she, at the age of 19, lost both of her legs to septic shock. Further, she suffered from multiple organ failure. Amy took up snowboarding again only seven months out of the amputation and ended up winning medals at two paralympic games.

As a recreational skier, Amy’s story inspired me deeply and gave me a big shot of motivation to getting back on the slopes. Based on the story, I arranged a trip to Austria where I got the chance to ski again for the first time in years. The sound of snow under my skis and the cold wind in my face was fantastic. I wanted more and ended up representing Denmark in paralympic alpine skiing competitions throughout Europe.

Vocation

Greitens opens the letter on vocation with a challenging statement: “You will never find your purpose!”. He asserts that life’s purpose is created through hard work, by acting, by taking risks, by failing and sometimes succeeding. This process repeats itself over and over again to slowly approach the purpose of life.

I took this advice in, and after reading “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” by John Wood and “Start Something that Matters” by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS, I jumped into the deep end in 2018 and started a non-profit organization that helps persons with visual impairment to run, walk, have conversations and enjoy nature with their sighted neighbors.

I’ve taken so much away from Eric Greitens book on resilience. If you are stuck, going through hardship or just want a good read, I’ll definitely recommend the book.

Thank you for reading.

/Kristian