Yesterday, I was glued to the television screen for over an hour. This is unusual for me, because with the exception of watching an episode of Mad Men or anything Jane Austen related, the TV doesn’t command that much attention from me.
I was witnessing a historical moment where one by one, all 33 Chilean miners were being lifted up and pulled out from the depths of the collapsed mine that was the home of their captivity for the last 70 days. There was joy and happiness all around.
We hear stories of collapsed mines all over the world, yet those moments are rarely celebratory. Often, the media is filled with grieving family members who lost hope, and are wondering how they will survive the next day.
So what was so different and inspiring about this Chilean mine story?
It was a miracle that was made possible by a leader, President Pinera, and his men that didn’t give up, but forged on to save the lives of 33 men. The leaders of Chile committed themselves to this rescue effort, and executed a plan where failure was not an option. This was a story about a community of men who were trapped in the depths of earth’s darkness who didn’t give up their will to live, but stayed committed to survive.
When I observe differences between successful people and those that are not so successful in life, the one major distinguishing theme is that successful people have the idea, thought and attitude of never giving up. In the most challenging times, the successful people don’t even entertain the idea of giving up but remain committed to reaching their goal.
So why am I writing about a rescue effort in an Alzheimer’s blog, you may wonder.
Like President Pinera and his men, we must never give up on a goal to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Yes, today there is no real cure for this disease. Yes, today most people think Alzheimer’s disease is an old people problem.
But no, we must never accept that a cure for Alzheimer’s will not be found. In fact, we must fight to find a cure for this disease.
Just imagine what the families of those 33 men were feeling as one by one, their beloved father, husband, son or a nephew emerged into sunshine from the darkness. Imagine what we, caregivers and family members would feel when we learn that our mother, father, husband, wife, friend emerges from the foggy depths of Alzheimer’s into the sunshine of clear memory and recognition.
I was witnessing a historical moment where one by one, all 33 Chilean miners were being lifted up and pulled out from the depths of the collapsed mine that was the home of their captivity for the last 70 days. There was joy and happiness all around.
We hear stories of collapsed mines all over the world, yet those moments are rarely celebratory. Often, the media is filled with grieving family members who lost hope, and are wondering how they will survive the next day.
So what was so different and inspiring about this Chilean mine story?
It was a miracle that was made possible by a leader, President Pinera, and his men that didn’t give up, but forged on to save the lives of 33 men. The leaders of Chile committed themselves to this rescue effort, and executed a plan where failure was not an option. This was a story about a community of men who were trapped in the depths of earth’s darkness who didn’t give up their will to live, but stayed committed to survive.
When I observe differences between successful people and those that are not so successful in life, the one major distinguishing theme is that successful people have the idea, thought and attitude of never giving up. In the most challenging times, the successful people don’t even entertain the idea of giving up but remain committed to reaching their goal.
So why am I writing about a rescue effort in an Alzheimer’s blog, you may wonder.
Like President Pinera and his men, we must never give up on a goal to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Yes, today there is no real cure for this disease. Yes, today most people think Alzheimer’s disease is an old people problem.
But no, we must never accept that a cure for Alzheimer’s will not be found. In fact, we must fight to find a cure for this disease.
Just imagine what the families of those 33 men were feeling as one by one, their beloved father, husband, son or a nephew emerged into sunshine from the darkness. Imagine what we, caregivers and family members would feel when we learn that our mother, father, husband, wife, friend emerges from the foggy depths of Alzheimer’s into the sunshine of clear memory and recognition.
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