"I’mPossible" – And So Are You (Book Review)

Jeff Griffin was a college kid pursuing the All-American boy’s dream—he wanted to play football. He was progressing toward his dream—until tragedy struck at his summer job. A devastating fall while painting a barn left Jeff paralyzed from the waist down. As he lay in the hospital at the beginning of the healing process, he realized he had a decision to make: he could either wallow in self-pity and go nowhere or he could pick himself up and continue to move forward with his life.

I’mPossible is Jeff Griffin’s story. The main focus of this book is the period of Jeff’s life from starting college through his return to college following his injury. It touches briefly on his childhood and then summarizes his life from his marriage through the present. The book opens with Jeff flying into Kathmandu and pondering on Mt. Everest and the challenges of climbing Mt. Everest. The author likens his accident and recovery to climbing Mt. Everest—and uses Everest as the theme for his book.

While I’mPossible is, on the surface, an autobiography, it is really much more than that. It is the story of facing what could be an insurmountable challenge and finding strength in adversity. Jeff Griffin says that we all have our Everest. We are all faced with a mountain of trials in our lives and “more often than not, we listen to those around us and think that our personal trials are too big or too tough to overcome.” He goes on to say, “That is just not true. In the introduction of the book I write, ‘I understand that more than likely you don’t have the same problem as me but I believe we all have a handicap or a Mt. Everest to climb in some area of our lives. Nobody is perfect, no matter how much you want to believe it!’”

“Whatever your individual handicap is it can be conquered! These disabilities can be either debilitating or liberating. They can hold us back or lift us up. They can remain our weakness or they can become our strengths. I hope by sharing my story of big dreams, grave disappointments, and euphoric triumphs it can help in some small way to lift you closer to the light that lifts. With each passing mile marker along the journey we can learn from our experiences or be lost for them. I have found peace in the pain and joy in the journey. I hope you can find some too, as you embark on your own journey within the pages of this book. Remember; there are no excuses when it comes to success! You’repossible!”

One of the things I liked about this book that I have seen in few, if any, motivational/self-help books (and yes, I’ve read a LOT of them) is that each chapter (the author calls them guideposts) concludes with a question and assignment for the reader. If these assignments are completed as you go through the book, they will help you to really think about your own “Everest,” gain some clarity and begin to put your own climbing plan into place. Jeff’s goal in doing this was to “some obvious and not so obvious clues on how to climb and overcome your own challenge of life. . . . there is an invitation for every reader to think about certain areas of their lives and other places to take action with those thoughts. The invitations are not overwhelming and may seem too simple but if followed, they will change your life. I tried to make it clear and simple but powerful! “

One of the things I find most inspiring about Jeff Griffin’s story is that it’s real. He doesn’t pull any punches and he doesn’t make himself out to be superhuman. He shares with us his triumphs, his failures and his foibles. And, of course, the book might end, but the story has not yet. If you want to learn more about Jeff Griffin and Griffin Motivation you can visit his website here. You can also download the first chapter of I’mPossible there.

And you can purchase I’mPossible by Jeff Griffin at Amazon.com.