Kyle Maynard's No Excuses

Kyle Maynard in an extraordinary gentleman who has been defeating odds and breaking barriers since he was born. Maynard was born with a rare condition known as congenital amputation, affecting his bilateral arms and bilateral legs. But what most see as a life altering deformity, Maynard sees as a new challenge or adventure. Using the setbacks and road blocks he has come encountered, Maynard has become a famous author, athlete, and motivational speaker. Chronicling the numerous failures and triumphs he has faced throughout life in his book No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life.
The book begins by providing insight into his mother’s pregnancy, noting the difficult decisions she

At some point in life most people have allowed at least one challenge to defeat them, if not more. Then there are those people who view these challenges as simply that, a challenge. This was the theme throughout Kyle Maynard’s novel, No Excuses, I learned that it is how we go about conquering these challenges that defines us as people. Throughout his novel he notes things will not always come easily; therefore, it is up to us to dig deep and conquer our goals. By finding alternate routes and adjusting your mindset, we are able to achieve any goal we set our minds to. Because it is not the obstacle that holds us back but it is ourselves that keeps us from fulfilling our greatest

After looking into the journey and obstacles he faced to scale this dangerous and intimidating mountain, I noticed with each stop at each rest area he had learned something different about himself or established a new outlook about the journey. But it was not until they were in the final leg of the journey in which he learned his greatest lesson about himself. It was during the last leg that he realized he had spent most of the day looking at “how far he had to go,” instead of relishing in “how far he had come.” After stating he normally views things as “the glass half empty” I realized, I too, have a similar outlook on life. It was in this moment that I realized perception has a large impact on how I maneuver throughout life, bringing the popular phrase “mind over matter” to my