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Shine Some Light

Shine the light of hope on the world around you by changing your perspective.

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The more I work with with great people in the community, the more people contact me to tell me their story. It's amazing to hear how many stories there are out there to be told. We all have them, but there's something amazing about being able to listen to these stories that are inspiring hope in areas I never would have personally consider.

Karen Lynn from Whispers Of Hope is one such person with a story to tell. More than ten years ago, she began Whispers Of Hope to help inspire those with similar limitations as she has.

From her site:
Karen Lynn is a native Californian. At five months old, Karen was paralyzed due to a DPT shot. This shot put her in a coma, leaving her severely disabled, but miraculously she made an almost complete recovery. Leaving her with cerebral palsy, left-side hemiplegia, and dyslexia, she went forth despite all odds. Karen made sufficient progress and has left a mark on this world.

Karen not only learned to dance, but she soared. She was the first physically challenged person to search out and win the first civil rights case in California. She obtained an Associate of Arts degree in English, and won second prize in the Kaleidoscope Literary Art Magazine international prose fiction art awards of 1983. She became a dance teacher and mentor for special needs individuals.

Just as she soared in her desires, so she seeks to inspire others to soar in theirs.

Interview with Karen Lynn from Whisperings Of Hope

What inspired you to start Whispers of Hope?

The one major thing that inspired me to start Whispers of Hope was a strong desire to share with other people who had disabilities like me. Because of my adversity, I wanted to give back to the community all of what I learned. I wanted to inspire people and let them know that they were NOT alone; that there was someone out there in this world and universe that went before them in hardship and suffering dealing with the system, and succeeded and triumphed.

How has your own journey with Cerebral Palsy affected the work you do?

My journey with Cerebral Palsy has been a direct affect on everything I do, say, and think. From teaching adaptive aerobics, to publishing my book “The Broken Hoof.” I have spent my entire life trying to make this a better world for all disabled people. I mentor and advocate. I have sat on executive boards and committees for the disabled and I speak out publicly to stop the subtle discrimination that still continues in our world today.

My hope is through my efforts, I can make this a nicer, kinder, gentler world and place to live for all those disable people who have come after me.

How do you feel your work helps to eliminate discrimination?

Through continual sharing, teaching adaptive aerobics, writing books, and articles on these specific topics about discrimination, along with sharing my message to organizations, schools, and publicly speaking at places where people gather together on the same cause and issue, I discuss ways of working together to eliminate discrimination. I feel that my tireless work has helped heal and ease the pain that so many disabled people feel or have gone through. I feel that from my personal experience, I can share words of hope, empowerment, and encouragement that "anything is possible if you put your mind to it.” I believe that if I continue to give unconditionally of myself, I can spread the message and eventually elevate and eliminate discrimination one person at a time.

Tell us a little about the importance of exercise in the work you do?

I feel that exercise is very important for everyone. It not only helps your body by making your limbs stronger, but it builds and strengthens muscle tone, gives you far more flexibility, and help in your every day endurance. It also reinforces, fortifies, and builds character. People's attitudes change as they become more self-confident, have more self-awareness, and gain poise and assuredness with their own self-worth and esteem. Exercise has a way of bringing happiness, pleasure, and peace to ones mind, body, and spirit.

If people want to get involved with what you do, what would be the best way to do so?

By writing me at: karenlynn@whispersofhope.org,or by going to my website and contacting me there directly. Ask me how to schedule lessons, lectures, book readings, and public speaking events.

People can help me by purchase my book on my website or by special ordering my book at their local Barns and Nobel or Borders book stores. Moreover, they can help me by spreading my name and my book title where ever they go and when appropriate. All of us, together, could help spread my message by making that special effort or contribution unreservedly.