What We Can Learn From Stephen Hawking and So Many Others

I was reading an article about world-renowned and celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking, where he states

that Earth may not be habitable after a certain point (that may be sooner to come than we think) and that human

survival may depend on humans inhabiting space.  I found this very interesting and as I kept clicking on link after

link, I was taken to a website all about Stephen Hawking and who this incredibly accomplished man is.

At the risk of sounding like a giddy little schoolgirl, I think Stephen Hawking's contributions to the field of physics

and science are stupendous.  Not only has he been perfecting his craft and field of study for aound 30-plus years, but he currently occupies the same post at Cambridge University once occupied by Sir Isaac Newton (yes, THE Sir Isaac Newton).  But I digress.  What is even more fascinating is that this is someone who has been battling

Lou Gehrig's disease for decades and only has the use of one muscle in his right cheek which he uses to communicate with a computer.  Regardless, his focus on his work, and his family are so exemplary. 

What Stephen teaches us about human behaviour is that at any given time, a person can look at their situation and circumstances in a positive or negative way by what aspect they choose to focus on.  Now, I'm

not saying that everything in your life (or mine for that matter) are perfect (not even close), but I 

believe there is something to learn from someone who does not allow a completely debilitating disease to lick him completely.

There are so many examples of people out there with all the beauty, money, love and riches in the world who killed themselves with drugs and other things.  Elvis Presley, John Belushi and Kurt Cobain to name a few.  Now I'm not saying that these people probably didn't have their own demons.  They probably surely did.

Not to oversimplify what any person may have gone through, but I believe that there is some beauty in

being able to focus on something good, even in the midst of sometimes devastating situations.