Alex Garcia , a Deafblind Person and Person with Hydrocephalus and Rare Disease from Brazil , presents a few thoughts as a guide for development
In “My steps for development” I want to guide persons with disabilities – and perhaps even guide persons without disabilities on how to achieve development. As usual, with my thoughts, I will tell you a truth – “ my truth”. I think there are many truths. Every human being has their own truth.
“My steps” as you can see, may be similar or very different to other steps. My steps are of a deafblind person, in the belief that deafblindness is the condition that most “affects” the essence of society, because it implies the distance imposed by visual and hearing loss, as well as the impatience that generates communication difficulties. We do reference to Deafblindness as the most dreaded condition to human beings. The “staying alone” as synonymous of abandonment, is a very different situation from “Solitude” choice for enjoyment situation when we have no fear of ourselves.
In my life, I try to transmit and exercise “My steps for development”. We must never interpret these steps as ready. The steps are in the daily motions of life.
Knowing yourself
The first step, to know yourself – needs and abilities – it takes time, so it does not fit like a script for a soap opera. All persons with disabilities, especially deafblind people must realize that nothing is static. Knowing yourself is a constant re-starting proces, and it needs a lot of patience!
Controlling of emotions
Controlling emotions is the second step but you cannot reach it without passing through the first , i.e. , it is not possible to control our emotions without self-knowledge. You can only take a new step safety if the last step was solid. Controlling emotions plays an important role in our development. In everyday life I observe often the desperation and fear in persons with disabilities, as well as people who are deafblind, emotions are essentially limited knowledge of ourselves.
Planning actions
Here we have the third step. To plan actions we must know ourselves and control our emotion. It’s a fact! Planning is the mainspring of development, but, a bad planning can knock you out in a short period of time. A bad planning will bring up the lack of emotional control and we are going to see it clearly . “I do not know myself deeply as I imagined, I thought I would be able to do that , but in fact I have other needs ” . These thoughts would run wildly if we do not know ourselves.. It’s pretty clear: if we know ourselves we will be able to control our emotions and as a consequence of that, we will be able to plan actions that can reach our abilities, not our needs.
Guiding means
Here we have the fourth step. When you know yourself, you control your emotions. When emotions are under control, it’s possible to plan actions and then, finally, guiding the means is possible. Guiding the means is the apex because we live in a society and although we have many abilities, there isn’t a perfect human being who doesn’t need any kind of support. I must warn that guiding the mean can sometimes be very different from what we expect. It is possible that when we try to guide a person to help us, and realize that this person isn’t interested. If you face a person who isn’t interested, honestly, do not try to change this person. It’s possible you may lose your patience , or lose your focus. Turn around and move away – because you will find another person – who is really interested for sure.
All the best and we keep in touch! Alex Garcia – Deafblind Person and Person with Hydrocephalus and Rare Disease – Brazil.
An earlier article of Alex can be read here – Alex Garcia
