Think how boring the world would be if all the flowers were one color or if there was only one kind of bird or if every street in every town was exactly the same. What
if you could only eat carrot soup for every meal? That would get boring pretty fast.
Variety keeps things interesting, but it is important, too. Take people for example. We are all unique
and that is a good thing because it means we have different strengths that we can use to impact our
world. Some people are great at math, which is important because they can design safe buildings, cars and other things. Other people are wonderful singers, and there is a role for them to play in the world, too. They bring joy to the people around them. Sometimes being different doesn’t always feel great, but it shouldn’t stop you from reaching for the stars. Here are some people who didn’t let being different stop them from succeeding.
• Kyle Maynard was born with no arms and no legs, but he is a mixed martial arts fighter and competes against other fighters who do have arms and legs. Maynard has also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro without any help. He is the first- ever person with no arms and no legs to do that.
• Helen Keller was blind and deaf, but she loved learning. She was the first blind and deaf person to get a college degree.
• Ralph Braun was born with muscular dystrophy. He founded the Braun Corporation, a company that makes wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
• Stephen Hawking is one of the most well-known physicists in the world. He was diagnosed with ALS when he was 21.
• Performer Solange Knowles and actor Will Smith both have ADHD, but are successful
in the entertainment industry.
• Marla Runyan is blind, but she loves to run. In fact, she was the rst legally blind athlete to ever compete in the Olympics.
• Albert Einstein discovered
the theory of relativity, but he had a
learning disorder.
• Franklin Roosevelt had polio when he was a child and was
con ned to a wheelchair. He was
the 32nd president of the United States.
