Living beyond limits

If you ever felt that your boss, your job, your parents, your life, your obligations, your financial troubles, your big-ass nose or anything other woe you might worry about placed a limit on your abilities, you should watch this inspiring TED talk.

I guarantee it is worth 9 minutes.

It is a good reminder to us to stop whining, to count our blessings, and to accept the things we cannot change, to have the courage to change those we can, and to have the wisdom to know the difference...or better yet, as Ms. Purdy elegantly puts it, to challenge common wisdom and ourselves, so that we may discover what it possible when we put our imagination to the task.

About The Speaker
Amy Purdy became a professional snowboarder despite losing both her legs to meningitis. She encourages us to take control of our lives, and our limits.

About the Talk
When she was 19, Amy Purdy lost both her legs below the knee. And now ... she's a pro snowboarder. In this powerful talk, she shows us how to draw inspiration from life's obstacles.

Amy Purdy: Living beyond limits
www.ted.com

NO MONEY, NO PROBLEM

Immigrants in the Big Apple take economic crisis in stride
Thursday, February 12, 2009:
(Source: AMNY)

By Sheila Anne Feeney

Not everyone is fretting about their lost investments, bemoaning the imminent or actual loss of their job and despairing about their foreclosed future.

Many visitors or U.S. citizens from other countries, while not in denial about the severity of the economic crisis, continue to enjoy time with loved ones, appreciate the arts, music and culture, pursue their hobbies and, yes, dance.

Most Spaniards, for example, “don’t go to therapists or cry,” during times of adversity, says Guzman Libran Aleman, 26, a Madrileño who is living in Washington Heights while learning English.

Spain’s 14 percent unemployment rate is nearly double that of the U.S., he notes, but Spaniards still go out dancing in (no cover) discos, converge at cafes and savor life’s pleasures. “You don’t need money to enjoy your free time, your friends and your family,” he says.

These New Yorkers who hail from other countries often are more resilient to financial crises than American-born denizens, observes Michael A. Cohen, director of the graduate program of international affairs at The New School.

Europe and Latin American immigrants “have much more of a social safety net,” Cohen explains. Thanks to socialized health care, the norm in most developed countries, you will never lose your home or go bankrupt “as a result of getting sick,” he notes. It’s true that in countries where health care is guaranteed, mortgages are rare (most people pay cash for their homes), education is free or inexpensive and investments are far more regulated, people have less cause for anxiety.

But even immigrants from impoverished countries often see their struggles here in a positive light: Any adversity encountered in the U.S. pales in comparison to greater suffering at home.

“Americans are blessed so much, but they don’t see it,” says Rezie Asprah, 34, who was trained as a dentist in the Philippines, but works as a dental assistant in Queens and as a film extra on her days off.

There is always a way for industrious, entrepreneurial people to turn a dollar, adds the debt-averse Marina Recalde, 25, an Argentinean filmmaker. “You just can’t sit around and wait for someone to hire you,” says Recalde, who started a documentary film business with her husband and survives on a cluster of part-time gigs.

IMMIGRANTS’ ADVICE TO AMERICANS:

Change your attitude,
“Be grateful for all the little things you have and don’t ask for so much,” says Rezie Asprah, 34, of Astoria, who is originally from the Philippines.

A little global perspective
“There are a lot of people with problems much worse than mine,” reasons Guzman Libran Aleman, 26, a Spaniard living in Washington Heights.

Focus on your goals
Don’t become distracted by the hail of bad news around you, and enjoy the arts, counsels Lucas Garzoli, 23, a Harlem resident and film student from Argentina: “I worry about myself — not the financial situation of the world.”

Take action
“Think about what you can do instead of complaining,” says Marina Recalde, 25, an Argentinean residing in New Jersey. “If you play the drums, offer to give low-cost drum lessons.”