Life with Hardships and Accomplishments

1) Author, motivational speaker, and founder of Teach Us Too, Jonathan Bryan, joins BSU

At just 12 years old, Jonathan published his first book, Eye Can Write: A memoir of a child's silent soul emerging, with a foreword by eminent children’s author, Sir Michael Morpurgo. 

Until he was nine years old, Jonathan Bryan was unable to write. Living with severe cerebral palsy, a condition that makes him incapable of voluntary movement or speech, it was his mother who taught him that by using his eye movements like a pencil, his eyes could become his voice.   

He began using his eyes to spell out the words he couldn’t say aloud, writing out each letter on an alphabet board known as an E-Tran frame. Finally, Jonathan was able to express his innate talent, passion, and mischievous sense of humor to the rest of the world. He was, as he puts it, ‘like a bird freed from its cage.’ 

2) The Cocoon and Butterfly story is a powerful allegory (story) often used to illustrate the themes of personal growth, resilience, and transformation. Here's a more detailed look at the story and its meaning:

The Story:

A person once found a cocoon of a butterfly and took it home, placing it in a small box so they could watch the butterfly emerge. Days passed, and finally, the cocoon began to break open. The person observed as the butterfly struggled to force its body through the small opening. The butterfly seemed to be struggling, and after a long time, it appeared to stop moving, seemingly exhausted.

The person, thinking the butterfly needed help, took a pair of scissors and carefully snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon, allowing the butterfly to come out easily. However, the butterfly had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The person continued to watch, hoping the butterfly would soon be able to fly, but it never did. In fact, it spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The person, trying to help, had unwittingly prevented the butterfly from going through the struggle that was necessary for its growth. The process of squeezing through the narrow opening was how the butterfly’s body and wings were meant to be strengthened and prepared for flight.

The Lesson:

The story of the cocoon and butterfly teaches an important lesson about struggle and personal growth. The butterfly’s struggle to emerge from the cocoon is essential for its development. The challenge it faces forces fluid into its wings, which helps it to fly once it is free.

This allegory is often used to illustrate that personal growth and success rarely come without difficulty. The "struggles" or challenges in life can feel difficult or uncomfortable, but they are an important part of the process that leads to strength, transformation, and freedom.

Key Messages:

1. Growth Through Struggle: Just as the butterfly needs to struggle to strengthen its wings, we, too, must face challenges in life to grow stronger, wiser, and more capable.

2. Resilience: The story teaches resilience — that despite the difficulty of challenges, there is often a rewarding transformation waiting on the other side.

3. Personal Development: Just like the butterfly, we can become more beautiful and free as we go through difficult times, and these experiences shape us into who we are meant to become.

4. Self-Reliance: Sometimes, others may want to help us by alleviating our struggles, but it is through facing challenges ourselves that we build the strength to fly.

The Cocoon and Butterfly story reminds us that embracing life's challenges and working through adversity is essential for realizing our true potential.

3) Boo Ali Sina, also known as Avicenna (Ibn Sina), was one of the greatest philosophers, physicians, and scholars of the Islamic Golden Age. He was born in 980 CE in what is now Uzbekistan. His life is an inspiring tale of resilience, determination, and intellectual achievement despite facing numerous hardships.

Avicenna's Early Life:

• Orphanhood at a Young Age: Avicenna lost his father at a very young age, becoming an orphan when he was just around 16 years old. His father, who was a respected figure, had left Avicenna with a strong foundation in learning, but the loss of his father still marked a significant hardship in his early life.

• Learning Basic Algebra from a Shopkeeper: During his childhood, Avicenna showed a keen intellect. In his early years, he learned the basics of algebra from a shopkeeper. Despite the lack of formal education in the early stages, Avicenna's thirst for knowledge was insatiable. His self-driven learning was key to his later success.

• Accessing the Library for Medical Knowledge: To pursue his interest in medicine, Avicenna had to be resourceful. In his early teenage years, he sought access to libraries where medical texts were kept. At one point, in order to gain entry to the royal library in the city of Bukhara (where he lived), Avicenna learned medical treatment. His skill was so impressive that he gained access to the library, where he began studying medicine in depth.

Avicenna’s Accomplishments:

• Prolific Writer: Avicenna went on to become an extraordinarily prolific writer, authoring more than 500 books on a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, medicine, logic, astronomy, and mathematics. His most famous work is The Canon of Medicine (Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb), which was considered one of the most authoritative medical texts in both the Islamic world and Europe for many centuries.

• Philosophy and Science: Avicenna was deeply influenced by Greek philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle, and he contributed significantly to the development of Islamic philosophy. His philosophical writings also had a lasting impact on medieval European thought. His synthesis of Greek philosophy with Islamic teachings helped shape both Eastern and Western intellectual traditions.

• Medical Contributions: As a physician, Avicenna made groundbreaking contributions to medicine. He was one of the first to describe contagious diseases and the importance of quarantine. He also wrote extensively on anatomy, physiology, and the treatment of diseases, which laid the foundation for modern medical practice.

Challenges Faced:

• Political Turmoil: Avicenna lived in a period marked by political instability and warfare. His life was disrupted by constant shifts in political power, which often meant that he had to move from one city to another. He faced challenges in maintaining stability, both personally and professionally, due to the changing political landscape.

• Imprisonment and Exile: During his lifetime, Avicenna was imprisoned by a ruler who was unhappy with his political writings and involvement in the court. Despite this, Avicenna continued to write and work, even under difficult conditions. His resilience during times of adversity helped him continue his scholarly work and ultimately achieve fame.

Legacy:

Avicenna’s influence on medicine, philosophy, and science extended far beyond his lifetime. His works were translated into Latin and were widely read in Europe during the Middle Ages. His ideas shaped the development of both Islamic and Western intellectual traditions, especially in the fields of medicine and philosophy.

His life and achievements are a testament to the power of perseverance and intellectual curiosity. Despite his early hardships, including the loss of his father, his humble beginnings, and political instability, Avicenna became one of the most influential figures in history, contributing vast knowledge to various fields and leaving a legacy that continues to be respected today.

4) the story you mentioned is an interesting and lesser-known connection between the families of Winston Churchill and Alexander Fleming.

Background:

• Winston Churchill's Father: Winston Churchill's father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a prominent British politician and the third son of the Duke of Marlborough. He came from a wealthy and noble family, and his status afforded him many privileges throughout his life. His wealth and influence played a major role in Winston's early opportunities and education.

• Alexander Fleming's Father: On the other hand, Alexander Fleming came from a much more humble background. His father, Hugh Fleming, was a poor farmer in Scotland, struggling to make ends meet. Despite the family's financial difficulties, Fleming's father was highly dedicated to the well-being of his children, encouraging them to pursue education and make the most of the opportunities available to them.

The Life-Saving Incident:

The story goes that when Winston Churchill was a young child, around the age of 2 or 3, he nearly drowned in a pond near the Churchill family estate. According to the tale, it was Hugh Fleming, the father of Alexander Fleming, who was working as a farm laborer on the estate at the time, who saved Churchill's life by pulling him from the water after he fell in.

This event is often recounted as a remarkable example of the intersecting lives of these two future giants of history, despite the stark contrast in their social and financial positions. It’s also a touching story of how even the humble, hardworking individuals in society can have a profound impact on the lives of the wealthy or powerful.

The Impact on Their Lives:

• Winston Churchill went on to become the famous British Prime Minister who led the United Kingdom through World War II and is remembered for his leadership, rhetoric, and pivotal role in shaping modern history.

• Alexander Fleming, after growing up in poverty, made one of the most important medical discoveries in history — the discovery of penicillin. This revolutionized medicine and saved millions of lives, solidifying his place as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century.

Despite their vastly different backgrounds, both men achieved greatness. The story of Hugh Fleming’s life-saving act is a reminder of how even small moments can have a lasting impact, shaping the course of history in unexpected ways.