the Prison of Your Mind | Sean Stephenson

[chasman]

I saw this on Youtube.
one of the best things I've ever seen.
I am so happy to share it all of you nice people.
thank you again Deb, for making this awesome forum.

[Deb]

Thank you chasman for this, Sean was a powerhouse of strength and inspiration. An amazing video, everything he says is so true. "If I believed I was disabled..." It's worth listening to over and over again.

People born with such challenges (and according to Seth, we've chosen them pre-birth), a lot of them, tend to use their challenge as a springboard for helping others, whether it's by being an inspirational speaking like Sean, or going into medical professions, research, invention, etc. "I choose..." (6:20) Most of us would consider his physical condition chosen in this life to be a major sacrifice, but he embraced and used it to make the world a better place. I can't imagine the physical pain he endured.

He seemed familiar to me, and I found this old post here. I'm only adding it because it contains a coincidence: The date of the post is August 28, 2016. Sean died recently, August 28, 2019, at the age of 40, during surgery.

I bet his books are a great read. Thanks again.

[chasman]

thank you again Deb.
awesome all you wrote.
I see his book is available on Audible. and he narrates it:

https://smile.amazon.com/Get-Off-Your-But-Self-Sabotage/dp/B002GDEWHQ/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&coliid=I1FQJK9NKI6KB6&colid=XCKAGI8T7LL0&qid=&sr=

[jbseth]

Hi Chasman,

Wow, what a beautiful gift you've just shared with us. There are "speakers" amongst us all the time.

Thanks for sharing that video.

- jbseth

[chasman]

hi jbseth,
      thank you very much.
you are very kind.
Charlie

[Deb]

Sean Stephenson, Get Off Your "But": How to End Self-Sabotage and Stand up for Yourself.

First off, thank you @chasman for lending this audiobook to me, it was VERY enjoyable. I just finished the book today. After seeing a couple of videos of Sean, and the documentary, I was fascinated with his attitude, incredible success... what made him tick.

There were a couple of ah-hah moments for me, nothing earth shattering, but the book was enjoyable for me because it gave a lot more very personal details about who he was inside: what his childhood, dreams and aspirations were; and his amazing parents that had no psychological training but managed to always do the right thing to get Sean to focus on his strengths and not on his shortcomings. He was very adamant about accepting responsibility for our own lives, explaining more than once how we make our reality (without using those words specifically) by our beliefs, focus, intentions and accountability. No excuses and no victims.

He was born with a brittle bones condition and almost every bone in his body was broken during his birth. He was not expected to live through his first night, but only died this past August at the age of 40. His bones were so easily broken that the family stopped counting at 200 breaks. The doctors told his parents there was nothing they could do for his breaks, and if he broke a bone say while rolling around on the floor, they should immobilize him in that spot and keep him there for up to 6 weeks for the break to heal. I can't even imagine! Because of all the breaks, his body was bent and crooked. He was 3 feet tall and confined to a wheelchair his entire life. But none of that stopped him from moving up the ranks of an Illinois boys leadership group that eventually lead to an internship in the Clinton Whitehouse. He started giving motivational speeches at 17 and wrote, directed and produced a local high school TV show. Got to meet Tony Robbins through Make-a-Wish, who became a mentor of sorts and pointed him to a doctor that was able to make dietary changes that helped considerably with Sean's health. Got a degree in political science, then went on to get a doctorate in hypnotherapy and had a successful therapy business while still working as a motivational speaker. Married in 2012. Died on August 28 during surgery due to head trauma.

The one thing I didn't expect in the book (near the end) was that he had what sounded like an NDE although he didn't actually die. He was in a hospital for debilitating abdominal/back pain and while the hospital was trying to figure out what was wrong with him, he said his senses started shutting down—as did the pain—and he went "inward." He found himself in a movie theater watching a slide show of his life, or at least all of the people in his life from the nurses that took care of him postnatally, to childhood friends, adults in his life, and then the thousands of people who had come to his lectures. The theater had become 360° and the images were coming faster and faster. He found himself forgiving people he felt had mistreated him and then felt only love. Then a different "film" was played and it was of all the things he wanted to accomplish in his life that he chose not to pursue. It reminded me of probable lives! He decided he wasn't ready to die, he wanted to go back and do a lot of things he'd set aside (one of which was this book). Like this guy needed to accomplish more!

It was eery in a couple of places in the book where he said we should live every moment to the fullest, in appreciation, because we never know when we're going to die. He narrated the book himself, and made it very personal by making it conversational. What an extraordinary person, I wish I could have met him.

[chasman]

Deb,
    thank you for your thoughts.
they are moving, touching, beautiful, amazing and a few more really good things. 

he was a wonderful human being.
and you are a wonderful woman.
Charlie