Mentally strong people. Strong in spirit: inspiring stories of people who did not give in to difficulties Stories about the strength of the spirit in life situations

Many believe that if a person has lost a limb, was doused with acid, suffered in a fire or was injured in an accident, then he should feel sorry for himself and give up. Unfortunately, most people who find themselves in such situations do just that, but fortunately there are people who pull themselves together and begin to inspire others by their example. These strong-willed people have proven that despite limited opportunities, you can live a full and vibrant life.

Turia Pitt suffered severe burns in a fire

The story of Australian fashion model Turia Pitt, who lost her face after a fire, cannot leave anyone indifferent. At the age of 24, she was caught in a terrible fire, in which her body was burned by 64%. The girl spent six months in the hospital, went through many operations, lost all fingers on her right hand and 3 fingers on her left. Now she lives a full life, starring for magazines, playing sports, surfing, cycling and working as a mining engineer.

Nando Parrado survived the plane crash and waited 72 days for help

The survivors of the disaster drank the melted snow and slept side by side to keep warm. There was so little food that everyone did everything to find at least some living creatures for a common dinner. On the 60th day after the accident, Nando and two of his friends decided to go through the icy desert for help. After the plane crash, Nando lost half of his family, and during the time after the crash he lost more than 40 kg of weight. Now he is engaged in lecturing on the power of motivation in life to achieve goals.

Jessica Cox became the world's first pilot without both arms

The girl was born in 1983 without both arms. Why was she born like this, the answer was never found. Meanwhile, the girl grew up, and her parents did everything so that she lived a full life. As a result of her efforts, Jessica learned to eat on her own, dress herself and went to a completely ordinary school, and learned to write. From childhood, the girl was afraid to fly and even swung on a swing with closed eyes. But she overcame her fear. On October 10, 2008, Jessica Cox received an athlete pilot's license. She became the first pilot in the world without both hands, for which she got into the Guinness Book of Records.

Tanni Gray-Thompson has become world famous as a successful wheelchair racer.

Born with a diagnosis of spina bifida, Tunney gained worldwide fame as a successful wheelchair racer.

Sean Schwarner overcame cancer and climbed the 7 highest peaks on 7 continents

This man with a capital letter is a real fighter, he overcame cancer and visited the 7 highest peaks of 7 continents. He is the only person in the world to have survived a diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease and Askin's sarcoma. He was diagnosed with cancer of the 4th and last stage at the age of 13, and according to the doctors' forecasts, he was not supposed to live even 3 months. But Sean miraculously overcame his illness, which soon returned when doctors re-discovered a golf ball-sized tumor on his right lung.

After the second operation to remove the tumor, the doctors decided that the patient would last no more than 2 weeks ... But now, 10 years later, partially using his lung, Sean is known to the whole world for being the first cancer survivor to climb Mount Everest .

Gillian Mercado, diagnosed with dystrophy, entered the fashion world and became successful

This girl proved that in order to get into the world of fashion, you do not need to comply with generally accepted canons. And it is quite possible to love yourself and your body, even when it is not perfect. As a child, the girl was diagnosed with a terrible disease - dystrophy, in connection with which she was confined to a wheelchair. But this did not prevent her from being in the world of high fashion.

Esther Werger - multiple champion with paralyzed legs

As a child, she was diagnosed with vascular myelopathy. In this regard, an operation was performed, which, unfortunately, only worsened everything, and she was paralyzed in both legs. But the wheelchair did not prevent Esther from playing sports. She quite successfully played basketball and volleyball, but tennis brought her worldwide fame. Verger has won 42 Grand Slam titles.

Michael J Fox overcame all the hardships associated with Parkinson's disease

The famous actor from the movie "Back to the Future" found out that he was sick when he was only 30 years old. Then he began to drink alcohol, but in spite of everything he gave up and devoted his life to the fight against Parkinson's disease. Thanks to his help, it was possible to raise $ 350 million for the study of this disease.

Patrick Henry Hughes, being blind and having undeveloped limbs, became a great pianist

Patrick was born without eyes and with deformed, weakened limbs, which makes him unable to stand. Despite all these conditions, the child at the age of one year began to try to play the piano. Later, he was able to enroll at the University of Louisville School of Music Marching and Pep Bands, after which he began playing in the Cardinal Marching Band, where he was constantly driven in a wheelchair by his tireless father. Now Patrick is a virtuoso pianist, winner of many competitions, his performances were broadcast by many TV channels.

Mark Inglis, the only man without legs to summit Everest

Climber Mark Inglis from New Zealand became the first and remains the only person without legs to summit Everest. 20 years earlier, he lost both legs, frostbitten them in one of the expeditions. But Mark did not part with his dream, he trained a lot and was able to conquer the highest peak, which is difficult even for ordinary people. Today he continues to live in New Zealand with his wife and 3 children. He has written 4 books and works for a charitable foundation.

The strength of the spirit of the Russian people

“Russia is the depth, the measure of which
no one has yet been able to determine
hence the legend of the mysterious Russian
soul, to simulate the movements of which
no one can." EXODUS Book 2

Hard times have come again for our country. America, Great Britain and the "highly civilized" countries of Europe, accustomed to living stably and comfortably at the expense of the resources of dependent states of donors, are currently facing a large-scale economic crisis. Their leaders began to look for new victims in order to continue their comfortable existence in the future. In this regard, the vast natural wealth of Russia has always been a tasty morsel for conquerors at all times.

Russia survived many wars, but it never attacked first, but only adequately fought back. Hidden enemies tried to decompose it from the inside. In all sorts of ways, Western countries tried to impose a consumer consciousness and introduce into the minds of Russian people unusual thoughts about worthlessness and self-abasement. All this was done so that we would forget about the soul and God, and thus break the Russian spirit. But this scenario failed. And now again an aggressive attempt is being made by countries with colonial thinking to unleash another war and subjugate Russia. All unthinkable methods are used. A stream of outright lies, falsifications and dirty accusations from all media has hit our country, and no explanations or even evidence can stop it. Russia and its president have been slandered and crucified with obvious pleasure, blaming them for all the sins and troubles of the whole world. Until recently, it was hard to believe, but now this is our reality, and it's time to unite in spirit and protect our Motherland, as our ancestors did in the days of hard times.

From history we know many amazing examples of the manifestation of the fortitude and stamina of Russian people at the limit of human capabilities.

The catchphrase "Russians do not surrender" appeared during the First World War. In the Book of S.A. Khmelkov "The Struggle for Osovets" is described as"in In 1915, the Russian garrison defended the small fortress of Osovets, located on the territory of present-day Belarus. As a last resort to break the Russians, the enemy decided to use a gas attack. For this, the Germans deployed 30 gas batteries. A dark green mist of a mixture of chlorine and bromine flowed onto the fortress. The defenders of the fortress did not have gas masks. All life around was poisoned. About seven thousand infantrymen moved to storm the Russian fortress. But when the German chains approached the trenches, counterattacking Russian infantry fell upon them from a thick green chlorine fog. The sight was terrifying: the soldiers walked into the bayonet with their faces wrapped in rags, shaking from a terrible cough, literally spitting out pieces of the lungs on the bloodied tunics. These were the remnants of the 13th company of the 226th infantry Zemlyansky regiment, a little more than 60 people. But they plunged the enemy into such horror that the German infantrymen, not accepting the battle, rushed back, trampling each other and hanging on their own wire barriers. The world military art did not know anything like this. This battle will go down in history as the "attack of the dead."

The glory of Russian weapons knows no bounds. The Russian soldier endured what the soldiers of the armies of other countries have never endured and will not endure. This is evidenced by letters from the front of soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht, in which they admired the courage of Russian soldiers during the Second World War. Andfrom a letter from a soldier of the Third Reich, Erich Ott, senthome from Stalingrad on October 14, 1942:« Russians are not like people, they are made of iron, they do not know fatigue, they do not know fear. Sailors, in the bitter cold, go on the attack in vests. Physically and spiritually, one Russian soldier is stronger than our entire company.”

From the book by Robert Kershaw “1941 through the eyes of the Germans. Birch crosses instead of iron ones":“During the attack, we stumbled upon a light Russian T-26 tank, we immediately clicked it right from the 37-graph paper. When we began to approach, a Russian leaned out of the hatch of the tower to the waist and opened fire on us with a pistol. It soon became clear that he was without legs, they were torn off when the tank was hit. And despite this, he fired at us with a pistol!

The strength of the spirit was manifested not only in battles. During the blockade of Leningrad in severe frosts up to 50 degrees, our heroic compatriots laid the "Road of Life" through Lake Ladoga, which became a salvation for thousands of Leningraders dying of hunger. After visiting the Museum "Road of Life" in the memory there was a photograph of a man walking knee-deep in water, with a bag over his shoulders. This was the first spring of the siege of Leningrad. The ice on Ladoga began to melt, the cars stalled, the horses refused to go into the icy water. But it was vital to deliver 4.5 tons of onions to the besieged city. What horses could not do, people did. Thirty volunteers 44 km dragged a precious load. In total, 65 tons of food was transported on foot across Ladoga.

And this is only a tiny part of the feat of the Russian people, who, not sparing their lives in the name of victory, defended their Motherland from foreign invaders.What is the secret of the unbending will, steadfastness and courage of Russians?

The ancestral home of Russia is Hyperborea, a highly spiritual legendary civilization that, according to scientists, existed several tens of thousands of years ago in the Arctic. Artifacts of this ancient country were discovered by archaeologists on the Kola Peninsula. The very name of the Kola Peninsula and the Kola River contains the rootnamed after the ancient Slavic god Kolo-Kolyada. When the poles of the Earth changed, escaping from the cold, our ancestors dews or Russ, as they were also called, moved to the territory of today's Russia from ancient Hyperborea. Confirmation can be found in predictionsNostradamus, whocalled the Russians "the Hyperborean people."Having moved to Russia, the dews were saturated with its codes, and a sprout of the strength of the spirit of the Russian land broke through in their souls. Russia is a special country, it is a stronghold of the forces of Light, the Spirit of the Earth is concentrated here. According to the Slavic-Aryan Vedas, the word"Russia" stands for "increasing light"."Ros" - growth, increase;"siya" - shine, light. That is, Russia was originally a source of spiritual light, hence the name Holy Russia. Our earth is luminiferous in its essence, it carries maternal feminine energies. It is no coincidence that only we have the concept of "Motherland". Therefore, it is a great sin to find fault with Russia, no matter how decadent the country is. This is the same as insulting your exhausted, sick mother, who gave all her strength to savechildren. It is difficult for foreigners to understand why Russians are always so desperate to defend their land from invaders. And the answer is simple - they protect the most sacred thing - their mother, and this is inherent in the Russians at the gene level.

Even in fairy tales, any evil spirits cannot stand the Russian spirit and can smell it from a distance. Our land is famous for the feats of arms of Russian heroes. Their names and deeds for the glory of the Fatherland were passed from mouth to mouth of their ancestors, and have come down to our days in epics and legends. You need to study and remember the history of your country. The connection of generations strengthens the roots of the spirit and gives stability and inflexibility in any of the most difficult trials. A man without family or tribe, like a "tumbleweed", is pliable even to a weak pressure of the wind and is an easy prey for any enemy.

Image of Russia - This is the Phoenix bird, reborn from the ashes, a symbol of immortality. From our rich history, we know many facts when it seemed to the enemies that Russia was completely destroyed and fell at the feet of the conquerors. Here are just a few examples: the surrender of Moscow to Napoleon during the Patriotic War of 1812; the blockade of Leningrad, the battles for Moscow during the Second World War; naxithe flattening of atheism in Soviet times; restructuring of the 90s and a focus on Western consumer values. But every time, contrary to all the forecasts of analysts, Russiareborn from devastation and poverty, like a Phoenix bird, and regained strength and power, causing bewilderment of observers from the outside. What is happening now. Recall the recent events in the month of March, whenRussia's position at the UN meeting on the issue of a referendum in Crimea caused an inadequate reaction from the US Permanent Representative Samantha Power. She spoke hystericallyenvoyRF VitalyChurkineverything she thinks about our country: “Russia has nothe right to forget that she is not a winner, butdefeated". Almighty America cannot believe and accept that Russia is back on the horse again.

The Russian soul is a depth, and there is a lot of unknown and unpredictable in it, its patience is great, which misleads many and gives rise to thoughts about the impunity of criminals. In fact, they are given a chance to change their minds and not commit sin. Russia endures to the limit, and waits for repentance, the spring is compressed more and more and the moment comes when it shoots with great force. And the enemy will be able to fully feel the full power of the Russian spirit in his own skin. As said"Iron Chancellor" Otto von Bismarck: "I know many ways to drive a Russian bear out of its den, but not a single one how to drive it back."The lessons of history are quickly forgotten, the long-suffering of Russia is again taken for weakness, and again self-confident conquerors are found, eager to get the riches of the Russian land.

EXODUS books say that Russian people do not even suspect what strength of spirit is inherent in them, these roots of strength and spirituality originally laid by the Lord himself. And still, the final decision remains with the people themselves.Faced with death, he makes a choice either to preserve honor and conscience, having lost his life, or to continue to live without honor and conscience. The Russian land gave birth to a large number of Saints. They raised the spirit of the people in the most difficult times by the example of their lives and true faith in God. The blessing of the Great Saint Sergius of Radonezh for the Battle of Kulikovo was an unconditional guarantee of victory over Mamai. The feat of selfless service to the God of the Saints of the Russian land erected pillars of the spirit that kept and keep the souls of people from the final fall in the most difficult years of unbelief and atheism.

Western consumer civilization throughout the history of mankind felt the "otherness" of Russia. The sacrifice and breadth of the Russian soul is still a mystery to her. The spiritual potential of Russia, the desire for unification is not understood and not accepted in Western countries, and alien and incomprehensible always causes fear and suspicion.German philosopher Walter Schubart tried to find an answer to this question:“Russia does not seek to conquer the West, nor to enrich itself at its expense - it wants to save it. The Russian soul feels itself happiest in a state of self-giving and sacrifice. It strives for universal integrity, for the living embodiment of the idea of ​​universal humanity. It pours over the edge - to the West. Because she wants integrity. She does not look for additions to herself in him, but squanders herself, she intends not to take, but to give. She's in a messianic mood." . Russia has always been self-sufficient and did not claim foreign territories.In this idea of ​​Russia Western countries do not believe and do not want to believe. But there comes such a critical moment in their destinies that they will be forced to overcome their arrogance. And there will be a turning point in the "enlightened" minds when they begin to see clearly and see in Russia a spiritual leader, Mother Savior and protector of the whole world.

Now, during the Transition of humanity to a new level of consciousness, when the struggle between the forces of Light and darkness has reached its maximum, the Lord is betting on the revival of the Russian spirit. To the above, we can add the words of Lord El Morya from book 5.3 of the series EXODUS : “Russian people are amazing in their desire for knowledge, for service, when they want it with all their hearts, with all their souls. Therefore, indeed, Russia will be the first. The Russian spirit is strong. You really can't kill him. But if everyone united, everyone showed the spirit, what strength would be, what a breakthrough, what progress. Then, in one fell swoop, it would be possible to do away with all the negatives, with all the darkness that surrounds you ... How long, how painfully the Russians have suffered and are suffering! But why? For the sake of the future, or maybe as a payment for the past? No and no again. For the sake of the future, they accept flour. To do what needs to happen. Then Russia will rise and lead other countries and peoples, in whom the spirit is not so strong and patient, in whom there is little holiness, in whom faith in God is not enough.

Ostrer Elena and Romanova Ludmila

Love for Motherland

My eyes look with anger at people,
On those who sow lies, cynicism, poison and cowardice
Insidious enemies came to the Russian land,
To cultivate debauchery and indifference in the hearts

They managed to inspire us with vicious words
And they taught not to love their native people,
Having managed to cover and desecrate with shame
The once sacred word "patriot"

But a Russian cannot not love
Without beauty and kindness, there is emptiness in the heart
Desecrated honor and justice gnaw at the soul
She needs love and purity like air

Love for the native land is sung in Russian songs,
It is in our blood and in our souls and in our hearts.
And we have a lot to return in battles,
And make clear what was only in dreams

I believe that the long-awaited hour will come,
When love for the Fatherland awakens again
And the Russian Spirit will fill us with power,
And mother - holy Russia will forever be reborn!

Marat Nasybulin. October, 2014

A word to those who personify our essence - the elite of the Spirit

(These words are their true essence, and left a bright mark in the history of mankind)

Prince Alexander Nevskysaid before the battle with the Swedes:"God is not in power, but in truth!"

In all Ages, Russians believed in the same thing - above all istruth, truth, god , and only by this measure can one measure both one's own life and the life of one's people. No material force - be it the force of weapons, money or an unjust law - is higher than truth for Russians: and this is the most important difference between Russian civilization and modern Western civilization. All our troubles were due to the deviation from truth and justice - and then Russia fell apart from within or lost to an external enemy. But in the Ukrainian crisis, everyone understands that our cause is just, which is why V. Putin speaks of our strength:

“It's just that we are stronger ... Everyone. Because we are right. Power is in the truth. When a Russian person feels right, he is invincible" .

“The simpler and closer to the earth a person is, the more responsibility he has for his Motherland. I'll even tell you why. He has no other homeland, he will not get on a plane, on a train or on a horse and leave, he will not roll away from here. He knows that he will stay here, on this earth, where his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be. He must take care of them. If he doesn't do it, no one else will. This is the basis of statehood and patriotism of an ordinary Russian person. Yes, and a person of any nationality living here ... "There is strength in unity!" ‒ this inner patriotism of an ordinary Russian citizen is very strong...”

“Look at our thousand-year history. As soon as we rise, we immediately need to move Russia a little, put it in its place, slow it down. Containment theory, how many years has it been around? It seems that it originated in Soviet times, although it is hundreds of years old. But we must not escalate, dramatize. You have to understand that this is how the world works.

http://vz.ru/politics/2014/11/24/716863.html - « The Truth and Love of Vladimir Putin

Many Rulers often recite great words with pathos: “God is with us!”

But people know - not by words, but by deeds, the cosmic Themis will judge them.

Did GOD direct the actions of American presidents from Truman to the present day, who left an obvious bloody planetary trail in history for the GLORY of America (“American interests”) and the so-called “American democracy”? Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, carpet bombings of Dresden, Vietnam, the dismemberment of Yugoslavia, plunging into the chaos of the fratricidal war of Afghanistan Iraq, ... Orange revolutions in Libya, Egypt, Syria, Georgia and Ukraine ... And everywhere - chaos, genocide of civilians, destruction of life support infrastructure and economic potential! And everywhere - bringing to power the most fanatical radical forces up to the Nazis. Now, under American control, the Kyiv Junta for the GLORY of Ukraine is conducting a punitive operation, genocide against the people of their country, who dared to claim the right to their own point of view on life. But GOD is their judge!

The spiritual leader of Russia, V. Putin, never utters such lofty words from the podium, but the constant presence of God is felt in his soul and heart. Therefore, he speaks very frankly, directly and openly, without lies and falsehood. And you feel his responsibility for every word and decision.

And the Higher GODS highlighted his most important facet, as a servant of Russia, the planet and GOD, giving us the words of a prayer in which all dots are placed over i :

Prayer is heard in the blue sky

MOTHER Great.

She calls the stars that have fallen down,

Let the heart of the presidents tremble with love,

Calling them to unite around Russia,

Having united in thought with Avatar Thoth,

Who teamed up with Putin

As with your own material body.

The President of Russia will show the rest the way

To Truth and Light.

In his prayer, Heaven praises the earthly son, -

The embodiment of loyalty, love and wisdom.

To unite everyone is his task,

Connecting the links of the entire planet

And become a star of the Cosmos and the Sky.

And she turns to him:

“Hallowed be, My son, your name.

You are the main warrior carrying the cross

For the entire planet and for all people.

May everything that I have said come true.

Amen"

Now every person, in his right mind and reason, can unambiguously determine who to follow and how, in other words, what God he serves.

If you think about it, nothing worthwhile in this life is given to us without struggle and overcoming difficulties - they are an integral part of the life path. We have a choice: either endure the pain and pass the test to the bitter end, or give up and suffer the pain of defeat.

Ludwig van Beethoven, Albert Einstein, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - we hear these names from childhood. But few people know what trials they had to go through. They succeeded only through willpower.

Ludwig van Beethoven

At 26, Ludwig began to lose his hearing. But this circumstance did not stop him from composing music. When he almost lost his hearing, he wrote the "Moonlight Sonata", and being completely deaf, the bagatelle piece "To Elise" (the same one that sounds from music boxes).

Thanks to his persistent character and talent, he learned to listen to music inside, and after writing the 9th symphony, he himself conducted the concert. After the triumphant performance, he burst into tears. “For a person with talent and a love of work, there are no barriers,” Beethoven repeated.

Albert Einstein

When Einstein was a small child, it was hard to imagine that he would succeed in life. Until the age of three, Albert could not speak, suffered from autism and dyslexia. While studying at the gymnasium, he often missed classes, which is why he never received a certificate. To prove to his parents what he really is worth, Einstein prepared himself and entered the Polytechnic in Zurich the second time.

Albert said: “We are all geniuses. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is a fool.”

Everyone in life has moments when difficulties are overcome, and hands seem to be about to drop ... The stories of these amazingly strong-willed people will help many of us understand that you can cope with any situation and under any life circumstances, the main thing is to believe in yourself and to your strength!

1. Nick Vuychich: a man without arms and legs, was able to stand up himself and teaches others

2. Nando Parrado: Survived after a plane crash, 72 days waiting for help

It so happened that the wing of the plane caught on the side of the mountain and, having lost balance, fell down like a stone. Upon impact with the ground, 13 passengers immediately crashed to death, but 32 people survived, having received severe injuries. The survivors found themselves in conditions of extremely low temperatures, lack of water and food. They drank the melted snow and slept side by side to keep warm. There was so little food that everyone did everything to find at least some living creatures for a common dinner.

After 9 days of such survival in conditions of severe cold and hunger, the victims of the disaster decided on extreme measures: in order to survive, they began to use the corpses of their comrades as food. So the group held out for another 2 weeks, at the end of which the hope of being rescued completely melted, and the radio transistor (sending signals for help) turned out to be faulty.

On the 60th day after the accident, Nando and two of his friends decided to go through the icy desert for help. By the time they left, the crash site looked terrible - piss-soaked and smelling of death, littered with human bones and cartilage. Putting on 3 pairs of pants and jackets, he and a couple of friends overcame huge distances. Their little rescue team knew they were the last hope for everyone who was still alive. The men steadfastly survived the exhaustion and cold that followed them on their heels. On the 10th day of wandering, they still found their way to the foot of the mountain. There they finally met a Chilean farmer, the first person in all this time who immediately called the police for help. Parrado led the rescue team by helicopter and found the crash site. As a result, on December 22, 1972 (after 72 days of a brutal struggle with death), only 8 passengers survived.

After the plane crash, Nando lost half of his family, and during the crash he lost more than 40 kg of weight. Now he, like the previous hero of this article, is lecturing on the power of motivation in life to achieve goals.

3. Jessica Cox: the first pilot without arms

The plane that the girl flies is called "Ercoupe". This is one of the few models not equipped with pedals. Instead of the usual six-month course, Jessica took a three-year course in aircraft driving, during which she was taught by three highly qualified instructors. Now Jessica has more than 89 hours of flight experience and became the first pilot in world history without arms.

4. Sean Schwarner: Overcame lung cancer and climbed the 7 highest peaks on 7 continents

Sean at one time was not only healed of cancer, his case is truly considered a medical miracle. He is the only person in the world who survived after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease and Askin's tumor. He was diagnosed with cancer of the fourth and last stage at the age of thirteen, and according to the forecasts of doctors, he was not supposed to live even three months. However, Sean miraculously overcame his illness, which soon returned when doctors re-discovered a golf ball-sized tumor in his right lung. After the second operation to remove the tumor, the doctors decided that the patient would last no more than two weeks ... However, ten years later, Sean (whose lungs are only partially functioning) became known to the whole world as the first cancer survivor to climb Mount Everest.

After conquering the highest point on the planet, Sean is full of desire and strength to move on and inspire people all over the world to fight the disease with his example. You can learn about this and his other climbs in the mountains, personal experience and ways to overcome the disease in his book "Continuing to grow: How I beat cancer and conquered all the peaks of the world."

5. Randy Pausch and his last lecture

In that famous speech, he talked about the desires of his childhood and explained how he achieved each of them. Among his desires were: to experience weightlessness; participate in a National Football League game; write an article for the Book World encyclopedia; become one of those guys "who wins the biggest plush toy in the amusement park"; work as a designer-ideologist for the Disney company. He even managed to co-author a book called "The Last Lecture" (on the same topic), which soon became a bestseller. Although after a terrible diagnosis he was prophesied only three months, he lived for another 3 years. Pausch died on July 25, 2008 after complications from cancer.

6 Ben Underwood: The Boy Who "Saw" With His Ears

So, how did he manage to move like the sighted guys? The answer is simple: it's all about echolocation, a technique commonly used by bats, dolphins, and some other mammals and birds. When moving, Underwood usually made clicking sounds with his tongue, and these sounds were reflected from surfaces, "showing" him the nearest objects. He could make out a fire hydrant and a trash can, and literally "saw" the difference between parked cars and trucks. Coming into the house (where he had never been before), Ben could tell which corner was the kitchen and which was the stairs. An unwavering believer in God, the boy and his mother fought to the last for his life, but the cancer soon spread to Ben's brain and spine, and he died in January 2009 at the age of 16.

7. Liz Murray: From the slums to Harvard

Subsequently, her biography, full of tragedy and faith, became the basis for the film, which was released in 2003. Today, Liz works as a professional speaker representing Washington Speakers. During each lecture for students and groups of business audiences, she tries to instill in the audience her strength of mind and will, which pulled her out of the slums as a teenager and set her on the right path.

Source 8Patrick Henry Hughes

A virtuoso piano player, vocalist and trumpeter, Patrick won numerous competitions and received awards for his strength of will and spirit, because what did it cost a young man to achieve all this. Many publications and television channels wrote and spoke about him, because such a huge willpower cannot go unnoticed.

Source 9Mat Frazier

Although Matt's hands grow directly from the torso, and the shoulders and forearms are absent, the physical handicap did not prevent him from becoming a completely successful person. Fraser is not at all shy about his appearance, moreover, he often shocks the audience by performing naked. Mat is not only a rock musician, but also a fairly well-known actor, whose fame was brought by the role of Seal in the sensational TV series American Horror Story: Freak Circus. By the way, Fraser is far from the only actor in the series whose unusual appearance is not created using makeup or computer graphics. Probably, it was phocomelia that helped Matt Fraser to play a character suffering from the injustice of nature so believably.

Fraser proved to many that for success in show business it is not at all necessary to run to plastic surgeons, shredding your body for the sake of fashion trends. The main thing: to have willpower, diligence and talent!

10. Andrea Bocelli: the blind singer who won the hearts of millions with his voice

Blindness did not prevent Andrea from studying: having received a law degree, he continued his musical education with Franco Corelli, one of the best opera singers in Italy. A talented young man attracted attention and he was invited to various performances. Soon the career of the young singer rapidly went up the hill. Andrea became a popularizer of opera music, successfully combining it with modern pop style. An angelic voice helped him achieve success and world fame.

11 Gillian Mercado

Of course, no one will envy the fate of Gillian, because she is forced to overcome every second of pain. However, the popularity of Mercado helps girls accept themselves as nature created them. Thanks to such strong-willed personalities, you begin to thank life for the gifts that we so often take for granted.

12. Esther Werger: multiple champion with paralyzed legs

The wheelchair did not stop Esther from continuing to play sports. She quite successfully played basketball and volleyball, but tennis brought her worldwide fame. Verger has won 42 Grand Slam titles. Esther's hundreds of victories have become a source of inspiration for people with disabilities who dream of a sports career.

Although in 2013 the girl finally left professional sports, she continues to achieve success. Trained in sports management, Verger is now Director of the International Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, consultant and lecturer for the Dutch Paralympic Team. In addition, she founded a charitable foundation to help sick children play their favorite sport.

13. Peter Dinklage: Became a screen star despite his unorthodox appearance

Usually fame comes to actors quite early, but a lucky star lit up for Peter only in 2003 (when Peter was already 34 years old) after the release of the film The Station Agent. Not too rich track record in the early years of his career is due to the reluctance of the actor to act in roles that usually involve dwarfs. Peter flatly refused to play gnomes or leprechauns. From 2011 to this day, Dinklage plays the role of Tyrion Lannister, one of the key characters in the most successful TV series of our time. Actor's talent brought Peter many honorary awards, and not so long ago, a wax figure of Dinklage appeared in Madame Tussauds in San Francisco.

14. Michael J Fox

Fox (despite all the physical difficulties generated by the tremor) continues to act in films to this day, striking us with acting talent. It is worth noting his participation in the TV series Boston Lawyers, where Michael played Daniel Post, a rich man who broke the law in an effort to maintain his health. Now Michael (in addition to his career in film and writing) is actively involved in supporting people suffering from Parkinson's disease. In the late 90s, he founded a public organization to study aspects of the disease and how to deal with it.

15. Stephen Hawking: the paralyzed genius who inspires millions to study science

During training (when Stephen was no more than 20 years old), he began to show serious health problems due to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This disease causes damage to the central nervous system and leads to muscle atrophy, and subsequently can cause complete paralysis. Unfortunately, existing medications only slow down the disease, but do not cure it. Hawking, despite the attempts of doctors, slowly lost the ability to control his own body and now he is barely able to move only one finger of his right hand. Luckily for Stephen, meeting talented scientists has paid off: thanks to the achievements of friends, Hawking can move around and communicate using an advanced wheelchair and a speech synthesizer.

For many people, a wheelchair becomes a curse that completely destroys the personality and the desire to do what they love. However, Hawking clearly demonstrates to us that even a completely paralyzed person is able to earn impressive amounts, flicker in the media headlines and build successful relationships on the personal front. Stephen's main achievement was his colossal contribution to modern physics and the advancement of science to the masses. Serious health problems have not deprived Stephen Hawking of a sense of humor: he loves to make comic scientific bets and even appeared in the comedy series The Big Bang Theory, playing the role of himself.

These amazing personalities proved by their example that unlimited power lies in people. Man is able to survive in the most severe conditions. Will and perseverance help to fight the disease and achieve success. Science, sports, cinema, music, the world of fashion - any field of activity remains accessible under any circumstances. Do not curse fate for all the hardships. Find an incentive to win and don't give up. And maybe one day your path to success will motivate others!

"Jewish Warsaw - a story about the human spirit" - a new permanent exhibition at the memorial museum Beit Lohamei ha-getaot (house of ghetto fighters, Hebrew).

Why did the museum decide to open an exhibition about Warsaw? After all, this topic is sufficiently covered in many museums, so why another exhibition?
Not at all in the light of the new law adopted in Poland. The exhibition was planned and created much earlier than the adoption of the law - it just coincided so symbolically ...

The history of the Jews of Poland and the history of Jewish Warsaw is the history of the life of the founders of the kibbutz and the history of the founders of the museum. It is difficult to separate a person's life from what is happening around him, from what is happening with his place of residence, especially when there is a war and millions of human lives fall under the wheels of history.
The uniqueness of this exhibition is that it shows the Jewish perspective on life in Warsaw before the Holocaust and during the Holocaust. This is a story about the everyday life of the Jews, about their faith and about their survival.

The story of the exhibition begins long before the Nazis came to power and took over Poland.

With the help of a variety of documentary evidence, the exhibition tells about life, although usually such exhibitions are stories about dying ... Without understanding Jewish life before the war, its aspirations, hopes and expectations, we will not be able to understand the extent of the destruction of an entire culture from which there is no trace.
We return to the Jewish street in Warsaw 1935. , with its political and ideological currents. Who was not there: Hasidim and Mitnagdim; educated and assimilated; members of Zionist youth movements; members of non-Zionist youth movements... The exhibition aims to show the complexity and inconsistency of the Jewish life of those times.
Assimilated, orthodox, workers and socialists fought to raise their children, believing that in this way they would give the next generation the opportunity for a better life.

Mizrahi tablet of the Mizrahi movement ( Mizrachi - Religious Zionist organization and movement ), Warsaw 1920.

traditional Jewish education.

And at the same time...

... joint struggle for the betterment of the conditions of the workers.

Various aspects of Jewish life are presented by people's stories, which represent a spectrum of opinions and experiences.

The theme of repatriation to Eretz Israel is one of the important aspects of Jewish life in pre-war Warsaw.

Congratulations to Shana Tov (Happy New Year) to a repatriate sailing on a ship to Eretz Israel, Warsaw 1925.

Greeting card Shana Tova (Happy New Year), Warsaw 1930.
Repatriates are depicted on the road to Eretz Israel.

Preparation for agricultural activities on a training farm in Gorochowa, Warsaw 1937.

Repatriation certificate issued by the Hashomer HaTzair trade union in Poland, 1924.

The exhibition presents diaries, letters, photographs, films, various objects and documents from the archives of the Lohamei Ha-Getaot Museum. Including exhibits from the Korczak Collection, Zionist youth movements and the Oneg Shabat ghetto archive. Used a lot of documentaries and photographs of that time.

For the first time, materials from the museum's archive that have never been exhibited are presented. The "Korczak Collection" includes letters and other materials from the orphanage.

Technically, the exhibition is focused on the younger generation and tries to speak its language: a lot of interactive showcases, where by touching the image of one of the displayed artifacts, you get information and a story about it. There are separate interactive stories about Jewish theater and cinema, Jewish newspapers, sports...

Illustrated newspaper for children and adolescents "Eaton katan" (small newspaper, Hebrew)" in Hebrew, 1929.

After the war, Jews emigrated to different countries, some came to Eretz Israel.
The seeds of Jewishness were sown in children's souls by the systems in which children were brought up before the war: in Jewish youth movements, in Jewish education, in prayers in synagogues for Yishuv in Eretz Israel, sports associations and newspapers in Hebrew, all this played a role in choosing a life way.

The war burst into the Jewish life of Poland, splitting it into two parts: before and on time.

This is how an artist unknown to me depicted it, in a painting not participating in the exhibition, but photographed by me in the museum.

The interactive section is dedicated to the capture of Warsaw. We not only see the siege, bombardment, shelling on the screens, we feel ourselves a part of what is happening.

I made some small videos from this section.

In the "Ghetto" section, with the help of video films, life is shown under the yoke of occupation and isolation for almost two years, between October 1940 and July 1942, when a wall was built separating the ghetto from the rest of the city and people did not know what was happening behind the walls of the ghetto didn't know what a new day would bring.

Ghetto borders 11/15/1940.

Many testimonies and diaries written at that time illustrate what was happening. The story about the events of those days is conducted on behalf of real people who lived in the ghetto. This is also a story about daily life in the ghetto and the problems of this life: a colossal gap between the rich and the poor in the ghetto, issues related to the observance of religious rites and the Sabbath, Jewish holidays.

Old films and photographs speak of something that cannot be described in words. Some of these people remained only in photographs, they have neither graves nor names ...

Summer 1942, deportation of 300,000 Jews, two-thirds of the ghetto's population, to death camps.

The exhibition does not end with the Catastrophe. It's still in the making.

The exhibition will end with the founding of the kibbutz and the birth of the first child. The circle closed when the children, who grew up in rich European bourgeois houses that were destroyed in the Holocaust, built new houses in Eretz Israel, in kibbutzim and began a new life ..

"We must fight for our future" is the message of the exhibition, which applies to both Jews and non-Jews.

I already talked about the ongoing exhibition at the Memorial Museum of Beit Lohamei ha-gettaot