Throughout this injury the one thing that has really kept me moving in the right direction is my friends. I must say I am blessed to have so many amazing ones! The notes, cards, calls and energy I have recieved from all of you has been a huge inspiration for me and makes it really easy to get up and work my ass off everyday. I am touched that my situation has inspired my friends as well, best case scenario we all grow stronger together right?  I wanted to share an e-mail I recieved this morning and my reply just because it really made me realize once again that we are all here together for a reason. Draw strength from your friends, that’s what they are here for…

FROM JUSTIN TO RILEY…

I wrote this a moment ago in my new blog/diary i’m doing and i thought that you should see it.  This is more of my inner thoughts but yeah man i thought you would appreciate what it says….. and a bit of background…. shit on my end hasn’t been all great, but its all more of a situational problem.  I don’t know, I guess the fact that you are back to work has helped me to really start to get my head in check.

I gained a great insperation from a friend today.

His name is Riley Poor. here is a guy who hasn’t asked for sorrow, but instead has headed full force in to a tough situation to beat the shit out of it with a bat and told that to go away.

This guy broke his spine a few months ago and is paralized below the shoulders, and here he is, already back to work. I’m sure that this helps in his rehab and all that shit, but here I am feeling sorry for myself because I’m in chciago, and in tons of debt and don’t know what I want to do with my life. And here is Riley; going about his business, still working on the simon dumont video, and the fucker can’t walk anymore. This really puts things in to perspective for me and honestly RI, you don’t konw the inspiration that you have been to so many people, including myslef.

Thank you for having such a strong head and following your dreams…. no matter what the hell gets thrown in front of your path. You will find a way to be happy and that is what is important.

Peace and love.

FROM RILEY TO JUSTIN…

Hey Justin,

Thanks for your note man, I am touched you draw inspiration from my situation. Truth is we are in the same situation, the debt, the unknown and the next chapter all scary as shit. When I broke my neck I realized 2 things, there is no way to prepare for what life will throw at you and secondly how lucky I am to be alive. No matter how overwhelming it all gets the universe always has a way of cosmically working things out and the hard times always become the past. One thing that helps me right now is every morning when I wake up I think of something I am grateful for, during the day if my thoughts wonder to the stresses of life I go right back to that thing I am grateful for and I tell myself that today I am alive for that thing only and every other stress will soon be a thing of the past. Try it for a few days and eventually you will be going to bed thinking of that thing and not your stress, or that’s the goal at least.

Riley