The Story of a Health-Challenged Man That will Inspire You

by Rhea Vitto Tabora

Imagine you were young, excited with schooling, and with a great ambition to be a musician. Out of the blue, you were diagnosed with acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare disease in which amoebae invade the cornea of the eye. What would you do?

Kurt Aungst was just 19 when he encountered what could have been the worst nightmare of his life. He just graduated from high school and was then playing in a local band. He was planning on studying guitar for two years at a community college and then gigging at night. Sadly, within two weeks after diagnosis, he was forced to drop out of the community college and his band.

“At first, it was kind of hard to grasp how serious it was,” Kurt shared. “I was definitely in a lot of pain, but I didn't realize I was getting ready to go up against quite a battle for seven months to save my eye,” he added.

Kurt was delirious from no sleep. The pain was unbearable. But the incredible support from his entire family made him stronger and determined to fight the battle. He never lost hope.

“I honestly wouldn't have a right eye if they didn’t all help. My mom was my caretaker for a few years. And I even remember my older brother coming home from college in the evenings to take a few nights shifts of administering my eye drops, as there were seven different drops that had to be administered around the clock every 15 minutes. This went on for four months straight.”

Kurt was lucky to have very loving and supportive parents, and two caring brothers. He grew up in a very solid home environment.

His eye disease resulted in a permanent blindness of his right eye. He was then given a cornea transplant. After the operation, he received the good news that he had been accepted into a very high-end music school in Hollywood, California.

But his health struggle has not ended yet. With one semester left, he was told that he needed to undergo a massive spinal fusion surgery. It was a deformity that he had from birth, and it had reached the point when his spine was already collapsing on his vital organs. He spent an entire year recovering from the surgery, using a walker for a good portion of it. During that time, he became depressed, withdrawn, and dependent on pain medications.

As a result, he was not able to finish school.

What motivated him to fight the battle and conquer life’s challenges

When he was a child, Kurt had always wanted to be a musician. “I loved the guitar ever since. When I was a kid, my dad would be playing blues on his car radio, and I could remember just physically being moved by blues guitar. When I was in the 6th grade, I convinced my dad to take me to see Eric Clapton. It was my first show, and I knew that’s all I ever wanted to do.”

But his battle with vision and spine operation was an enormous challenge. “It made me grow up fast. All my friends were off to their first year in college doing what healthy 20-year old adults do. I was battling to save my vision. There were times that I felt very alone and depressed. But my family was so supportive. My dad helped me grow mentally during that time.”

Despite the challenges in his health which greatly affected his life, Kurt did not have any regrets in life. “Sometimes I wish timing had been a little different,” he said with a smile. “I wished I'd been able to finish school. But like what my Dad says, it's just a piece of paper. I was there, I did the work, and I played with the best.”

He came out victorious against all the trials. What he went through helped him shape the person that he is today – a strong-willed, determined, loving, and caring person. “There is a mental toughness that develops inside you when you go through something that lasts for so long. I wish everyone could experience the result of having to go through it and the growth that comes with it without having to endure pain.”

Dreams for himself and his family

Kurt oozes an entrepreneur spirit. Fueled by the desire to have financial freedom, he is now involved with internet marketing. He gets himself busy with his online business, working with a supportive team.

As a father, he wants to teach his five-year-old daughter to enjoy the day.

“My goals are to work for myself, to allow time freedom and financial freedom to spend time with Juno and Renee, and play my guitar when I can. If I've learned anything, it's that we tend to get too wrapped up in the here and now without actually taking the time to enjoy the here and now.

A fighter and a life champion  

Kurt is now 29 years old. He had a cornea transplant, underwent two spine operations totaling 13 fused vertebrae and over 36 screws, didn't get to finish the schooling of his dreams, battled depression, and became dependent on pain pill. But whatever happened to him never daunted his determination to live a normal, happy, and meaningful life.

What does Kurt have to say to all these? “When someone tells me it can't be done, I smile. We all have so much strength within us. We can always do just one more thing. So, let's all take a vow to take massive action. We truly can do whatever we want in life.”

15 No-Nonsense Ways to Motivate Yourself

by Rhea Vitto Tabora

Have you been through that phase of doubting yourself, feeling like it’s the end of the road? Well, everybody does. We have all been there. We have experienced the pains and struggles of accomplishing our goals and living our life.

What do you do when you feel demotivated? Here are some ideas to help you with your journey:

1.   Start your day right. Smile, feel excited, and give thanks for a brand new day. Talk positive to yourself.

2.   Make a move and get started. The first step is always the difficult part, but once you’re in it, you know you’d rather keep going. You can even start doing something small that will lead you to achieving your bigger goals. The key is to get started and then work your way up. Before you know it, you’re ready to do the next thing on your list.

3.   Be enthusiastic. This attitude will overpower the negative outlook and will attract positive energy. You will then feel motivated and eager to complete your tasks.   

4.   Set a goal and aim for the bull’s eye. Dream big and challenge yourself. When you really want to achieve something, want it so badly that you will be determined to take the stairs to success rather down go downhill. If you really want something bad, you will do everything to make it happen. Remind yourself it’s what you want and that giving up is not an option, no matter how difficult the situation is.

5.   Stop comparing yourself with others. Don’t kill yourself. Many people have already started before you. Evaluate how far you have gone in your journey instead. Appreciate how much you have improved along the way and how much you have accomplished. When reviewing your results, you will also realize where you have gone wrong. Embrace the lessons and be inspired to do better.

6.   Remember your achievements. Whenever you start doubting your capabilities, remind yourself of your successes. Those accomplishments are great motivation to continue moving forward.

7.   Treat yourself after accomplishing something. Make a promise to reward yourself after getting things done.

8.   Have fun. Life is not all hard work and challenges. Give yourself a break. Go out. Have a good time with your friends and loved ones. In the midst of everything we do, remember that there is a “thing called life that has to be lived and enjoyed” as what the American comic actor and writer Sid Caesar said.

9.   Surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Don’t let negative people drag you down. They are not real friends if they are putting you down. Reach out to and connect with people who are passionate achievers, dedicated to honing their skills and enhancing their knowledge. If you want to motivate yourself, surround yourself with positive thinkers and great motivators.

10.   Read inspirational books. Listen to motivational audios. Watch encouraging videos. These materials will act like firecrackers to awaken your sluggish spirit and help you overcome your fears.   

11.   Think you can, then do it. If you think you can’t, then you’re already putting limits to what you can achieve. As what Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” It all starts in your mind and attitude.

12.   Get out of your comfort zone. You have to go out of your box and take risks sometimes. This approach in life will make you realize what more you can accomplish. If you won’t try, how will you know that you are capable of doing something bigger? As motivational speaker Bo Sanchez said, “How to take risks? Leave your comfort zone, get into your courage zone, but never go out of your core zone.”

Stretch yourself. Stretch your imagination. Stretch your mind. You'll never know how far you can go, what you can accomplish, and how many lives you can touch if you won't do that.

13. Don’t worry about getting knocked down. We have had our own share of failures. Even the great achievers have failed many times. Remember what Michael Jordan said? “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

What can be more inspiring than that? You failed – so what? Don’t lose your enthusiasm. Get up and move on.

14.  Do something for a reason. Why are you doing it? Why do you have to accomplish it? Is it for your own good? Is it for the benefit of your loved ones? If you remind yourself why you are doing it, then there is no reason you will drop it. 

15.Consider doing something that makes you happy. We have only one life to live. The last thing you want to do is to regret not doing the things that make you happy when you had the chance.  

Each step in your journey counts. Do something meaningful each day.

If you were able to pick up something from this article to inspire you, or if you have some friends who need some motivation, spread the good vibes around by sharing this article :)