Voice of Inspiration

When Karren Alexander was 3 years old, she pulled up a chair to her mother's ringer washer. An inquisitive child, she was interested in the moving wheel. But, when her arms became stuck in the ringer washer, her life changed forever.

Due to the damage, the doctors amputated both of her arms from the elbow down. "My parents believed in me, even when I tried to say 'I can't.' They questioned me and asked 'How do you know you can't if you haven't tried?' My parents let me lead the way. Parents must have confidence in their kids. We are putting too many limitations on ourselves and our children," Alexander explained.

"My father taught me there is no such word as 'can't' in living life. In fact, he said the word 'can't' should be removed from the dictionary. I learned early on to remove that word from my daily vocabularly."

Whether someone has a physical disability or any challenge, there are keys to moving forward with your life. "I may not be able to do things the way other people do them, but I focus on the end result. It's a craft to learn how I can do something. I'm an accountant and when it comes to typing, I had to figure it out. I have to hold my arms a certain way and use the boney part of my elbows to type because I can't use fingers," Alexander said.

"For clothing, I learned the different types of clothing that don't work for me. I can't reach zippers in the back of pants, so I don't buy those. I also had to learn to eat and how to open a container. I use my arms to twist off lids to bottles."

Alexander was asked so many questions about her appearance, she has written a book entitled "Invisible Hand." It is uplifting and inspirational focused on the ability of the human spirit to rebound, grow, and strengthen. "I wrote the book about what happened and how you survive day after day. I wanted to answer everyone's questions, especially the question about survival. It's an important message. I want people to believe in themselves and not to give up until they've tried and tried and tried. Always think, 'I can, I can, I can.'"

"Your body parts belong to you, you have to accomplish what you need to do and you find a way. The physical part can also teach our minds to keep on trying. Remove all negative thoughts and believe that anything is possible. A person must always assess their situation, plot a plan for success and regain and subsequently maintain the courage and confidence to succeed."

Life is a learning process but you can't quit. "I had to learn it. I never gave up on me. You need to be your biggest cheerleader. In fact, you're the whole cheerleading squad sometimes. You have to get yourself going and encourage yourself. People find empowerment in different ways. Some people read books, others are empowered by music, and some like to work in the garden. Wherever you find inspiration, make it work for you."

Nothing is easy, especially when people get involved and they judge from afar. Alexander has found a way to keep her head high. "People talk about me in the third person. I ask them, 'Who are we talking about here?' Dealing with people has been my biggest challenge because there are people who want to put limitations on me. They form an opinion about me because of my physical appearance. I don't have any fingers, but nothing is impossible," Alexander explained.

"Day to day, people have to be confident in who they are and what they are capable of doing. I absolutely can perform my job as I've been doing it for 25 years. Yes, I am judged by my lack of hands, but there are ways to rise above it," Alexander added. "The main thing I want to do is to restore hope, confidence, and courage. So many people get stuck in life, but they need to get a fire in them and get going again. There are ways to keep hope alive, stay confident, and believe in yourself. Parents have the ability early in life to encourage us no matter what obstacles we may face."

Alexander's book "Invisible Hand," will be released the second week in December.

For more information visit her website at www.KarrenAlexander.com.

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