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The "Gift" of Pain

"Pain is one of life's great lessons. You need to know how you'll react to the negatives in your life. Only then will you learn from the pain, and the next time it happens, you can speed up your healing process."
~Terry Bradshw, Superbowl Champion

Odd, isn't it for a humorist and inspirational speaker to talk about 'pain?" I had two terrible diseases: Trigeminal neuralgia and bipolar disorder. The TN disabled me to two-and-a-half years and was cured by brain surgery, which gave me a new lease on life and saved me from eventual self-destruction from what is known as the "suicide pain."
 
Bipolar Disorder is a genetic disease that I have learned to manage each day and can tell others with it or those who suffer from chronic depression how I manage it with significant success. Each story is inspirational about the resilience of the human spirit filled with self-deprecating humor and mixed with tears of joy.
 
My talks are always audience-centered because everyone experiences physical or mental pain to some degree. I tell stories about many friends who suffer from the ravages of disease, such as Jim who was a concert violinist who lost use of his right shoulder in a boating accident. He lost his career, but now teaches people how to play the ukele while finding their spiritual path. Then there is my friend Jack who is to an NFL legend. Jack lost his toes on his left foot and half of his right leg to diabetes and now speaks to kids about how to take care of their bodies and raises money for diabetes research.