Daniel (21), a young man from Slovakia, is living his dream. He is healthy, well-educated and muscular, and travels the world together with his gorgeous girlfriend Vanesa (19), with whom he also runs a vivid blog about their unordinary experiences called The Wave of Reality, where they share motivational personal stories and advices on how to drown your fears and lead a free and fulfilling life. And they do it pretty well.
We know what you’re thinking – what do adolescents know about life’s hardships and how to overcome them?
Well, these two certainly do. Two years ago, Daniel had a horrific car accident that left him with 16 bone fractures, brain swelling and a pulmonary contusion, among other things. He was only 19 and he was already living in hell, not being able to move his neck, arms and legs. He had lost a big chunk of his memory and couldn’t remember almost anything about his previous life. During the first few weeks at the hospital, he was convinced that it’s all a dream – it took him some time to recognize what was going on with him as the hard, cold reality. And in this reality, he was surrounded by doctors who repeatedly told him that his body and physical abilities will never be the same.
And it was easy to believe them. Even at the slightest movement of his body, Daniel felt excruciating pain. Trapped in his battered body, all he could do is think and talk to himself. The dramatic consequences of the accident gave him a crash course on the meaning of life, allowing him to see what’s important and really worth fighting for. And surprisingly, despite all his troubles, Daniel didn’t feel a shred of fear or discouragement – faced with the possibility of being physically disabled for the rest of his life, he discovered an unknown spring of strength and motivation within himself and decided that he will definitely get better, no matter how long it takes him to get there. “There was not a little bit of negativity in me throughout all that time”, he adds.
He started by slowly moving his shoulders and neck while in bed until he was able to move them freely and without any significant pain. Then, he approached the big challenge: learning to walk again. Admittedly, the beginning was terrible, but after six months of painful effort, he was finally able to walk his dog with the help of one crutch. He celebrated every small progress he made and constantly pushed his limits a little further by going on longer walks and wall climbing.
Soon enough, Daniel could walk without crutches and got pretty excited about it, but unfortunately had a pretty bad epileptic seizure the very next day. This time the doctors were categorical in their findings: they basically prohibited him from performing any kind of physical activities. Yet, Daniel remained positive and focused on regaining control over his life. “I was not searching for any reasons why that happened but for ways how to get over it and I was trying to figure it out”, he explains.
He stopped taking the anti-epileptic drugs and started working out with a personal trainer. Step by step, he was able to complete a decent routine and began making significant progress. His body got stronger and more flexible, he felt healthier and his self-confidence grew. In just two years, he had made a full recovery and was able to lead a normal life again. But most importantly, his view on life had changed completely. “Only we are setting up our limits, no one else can do it for us”, says Daniel. “Negativity shouldn’t have a place in your life so don’t let it exist”, he adds.
Now he’s devoted to helping others transform their lives like he did with his by sharing his story and improving his life in every way he can. The most important lesson in life, according to him, is to understand that we are not what happens to us – bad and good experiences will come and go no matter what, but we, as human beings, are way above them and we are always stronger than we think. So whenever you start doubting yourself and your ability to overcome a difficult situation or achieve some goal, just stop identifying yourself with your fears and take the challenge. If this guy has started bodybuilding after barely surviving a devastating car accident, what’s your excuse?