Overwhelmed or Overcomer

Recently, I was screened to take part in a brain injury survivor case study. During the brief interview, the memories of those early days after my accident came crashing down on me reminding me of the pain I’ve worked so hard to put behind me.

It was difficult for me to remember all of the negative emotions and situations I endured during that life-changing season. I have struggled with many of the same issues over the last 27 years.

• Depression
• Loneliness
• Shock
• Fear

To my surprise, due to my remarkable recovery, I did not qualify to take part in the case study survey. My accomplishments over the last 27 years exceeded the study’s parameters.

I’m not referring to any spectacular feats of strength, but typical everyday chores and tasks individuals must perform to take care of themselves—activities I couldn’t do in the weeks following my accident.

In the end I remembered how far I’ve come since those difficult days when I was overwhelmed by my TBI and felt like giving up.

Overwhelmed

Webster’s dictionary defines overwhelmed as, “Upset, overthrow; to cover completely. Overcome by superior forces or numbers or to overpower in thought or feeling.”

Certainly, we have all experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed at some point in our lives. However, for persons with disabilities, these feelings or situations can be exceedingly debilitating.

Because our bodies and emotions are literally out of our control; those first few weeks after my accident were so difficult for me, that I became suicidal. It was humiliating to need help to do common tasks like feeding myself or using the restroom.

After I finished therapy I began trying to write again and found myself hitting another brick wall. Due to my brain injury, I lost all fine-tuned motor skills in my left hand. Although I am right-handed, I am still unable to type at a productive are feasible level.

As an English major with writing aspirations, this presented another obstacle for me to navigate. After a few days of struggling to type, I learned about speech dictation software that I could purchase to write.

Twenty-six years later I still use the same software to write everything, including the posts you read here in this column. It’s humorous to say, but I am more of a speaker than a writer!

Writers Life

I have been pursuing traditional publication for the last decade. Now once again I have started feeling overwhelmed as I continue to navigate the hurdles of a writer’s life.

As aspiring writers, we’ve all had to start on the same playing field with nothing but a good story or prose that we want to share with the world. As Jerry B Jenkins asks, “What’s your story?”

As communicators, we know ideas are only as good as we can communicate them to others. Learning how to communicate more effectively is a big part of being a writer. That is why we must continually study and learn the craft.

Then we can masterfully create our fictional or nonfictional narratives. A fantastic idea can lose its persuasion or entertainment value if it is not communicated effectively.

Let me go ahead and confess now, I also understand just how overwhelming the writing life can be. Seeking an agent and maintaining an author’s newsletter can be overwhelming and time-consuming, but wait there’s more. There are countless aspects of the journey we each must learn and master in route to publication.

1. Curating ideas
2. Research
3. Writing
4. Editing
5. Rewriting
6. Building a platform
7. Managing social media
8. Book Promotion
9. Book tours
10. Speaking engagements

Each one of these functions can be overwhelming in and of themselves. This is why writers need mentors and cheerleaders to nudge them along in the grind of the writing life.

Have you ever felt like giving up? You’re not alone if the writer’s life has overwhelmed you. I cannot count how many times I’ve wanted to step away from my computer and never write another word.

Each time, I have leaned into the writing community and reached out to others for help and advice. At the beginning of last year, I resolved to give up my writing passion.

And just as I was ready to quit, I became a finalist in a Christian writing competition, that third-place win reminded me of what it means to be an overcomer. Just because the chips are down doesn’t mean we have to cash in. Just because we fell overwhelmed, doesn’t mean we can’t become overcomers.

Overcomer

Overcomers are defined as persons who overcome something; one who succeeds in dealing with or gaining control over some problem or difficulty. March 31 will mark the 27^th anniversary of my accident which almost overcame me both physically and mentally.

However, I am not the same person I was before. I have worked hard to overcome countless obstacles to live life this long. I have allowed these obstacles to make me stronger, just as fire refines and strengthens precious metals.

There have been times in my life when I’ve come close to giving up, that’s when I remind myself to get up instead. I have learned there is beauty in the trial. We can be overwhelmed by hardships or overcome them and let them work good in our lives.

• Humble us
• Guide us
• Strengthen us

Hardships can allow writers to grow as people and as professional writers. The cliché is true, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” As writers, we must find our way to becoming overcomers.

Sometimes it’s the struggles of publication that give writers their voice and story. Just like it’s the struggle of breaking free from a cocoon that gives butterflies stronger wings to fly higher.

The struggles of life may be overwhelming like a cocoon, however like a butterfly in the spring, we can become overcomers!

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.