Conditioned Vs. Expanding Our World Of Possibilities
“One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them.”
~Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
How we have been conditioned to think plays such a vital role on how we view and act in our daily lives. Most of the time, we are not even aware of how this conditioning impacts us or others.
My friend shared how she was conditioned, growing up, that if you have a disability it is one of the worst things that can happen. I, myself, grew-up with this same view. It may have not been pointed out in the same way, but society definitely proved this truth. Students that were viewed as “different” went to different classes and rode different buses. We were not encouraged to socialize nor were we discouraged. It was, “Well, just the way it is.”
As a person that is now a totally blind adult I see how this conditioning had a major impact on how I dealt with losing my precious gift of sight. It is a battle I will always fight, but it is these times of realization that are gifts.
This is the time that we make the choice to stay in that same mind-set or move into a new place. Do we stay with the “norm”, or do we make those mental changes that will put us in a new place? For me, “norm” is not an option. There is too much life to live and so much yet to be explored.
You do not have to have a disability to know if there is a condition that no longer serves a purpose in your life. I encourage you to explore what your world would look like if you took that first step into a world of possibilities. ~Abby
About The Author:
Melody Goodspeed, Associate Director of Development at the American Foundation for the Blind serves as an Advisory Board Member here at Bold Blind Beauty. In addition, Melody is a passionate advocate and the voice of Abby, Bold Blind Beauty’s brand icon, designed to change the way we view blindness. Blindness afterall is a vast spectrum ranging from low vision to totallly blind and no matter where we fall on this spectrum our lack of sight has no bearing on our capabilities. To learn more about Abby you can read her story here: Abby, Brand Icon Extraordinaire.
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- LinkedIn @MelodyGoodspeedCPCC
- Instagram @melody_goodspeed_sparkle
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Image Descriptions:
- 7 paper cutouts joined by holding hands representing the union between different people, symbolizing social inclusion.
- Conditioning & The Barriers Experienced By People With Disabilities Chart 1-Inaccessible Environments: (Buildings, Services, Language, Communication, Organizational Procedures & Practices, Sports & Entertainment) 2-Attitudes: (Devaluing, Prejudice & Discrimination, Stereotyping, Stigmatization, Ambivalence) 3-Basic Rights: (Education, Employment, Healthcare, Housing, Technology, Transportation).
- Author photo: Melody Goodspeed is posing in a CABI Jacket. The Citizen Jacket looks like it is the Pantone color Saffron (a gold color). The jacket has big pockets at the waist and what looks like big brass buttons.