The book I’m Possible: Jumping into Fear & Discovering a Life of Purpose by Jeremy Cowart is a delight.
The undercurrent running through this guide is that those of us with privilege should use our fortune to empower others who are less fortunate.
My abiding motive is to inspire peers to go after our goals with gusto. Achieving the dreams that we’re supposed to achieve is possible. We shouldn’t rule anything out. We won’t know until we try what we’re capable of. If our plan doesn’t work out, we can try something else.
My livelihood is acting as a Brand Ambassador for the recovery lifestyle. If I were asked at a party, “What do you do?” I would say: “I’m a Brand Ambassador for recovery and healing.”
Like Cowart, I advocate for reconciliation and forgiveness. Jeremy Cowart’s photography career took him to Haiti after the earthquake and Rwanda, shooting photos of survivors. He captured our human beauty and resilience in tragedy and atrocity.
The theme of the book I’m Possible is that we shouldn’t allow the shame we feel to inhibit what we think we can do. Our limitations need not hold us back.
Jeremy Cowart was a failed student, getting Cs and Ds. In high school, when he took art classes, he started getting As in art. With the support of his parents, he studied graphic design at college. He had a career as a humanitarian photographer. His latest venture is the Purpose Hotel, whose income supports persons recovering from plights like homelessness and human trafficking.
We might not be able to do what Cowart has done, and that’s okay. Those of us who have a disability should not let fear stop us from trying to change the world in our way. On this glorious green earth our humanity is at stake.
As an author, my two favorite questions are: “What if?” and “Why not?” The future belongs to individuals who can imagine and create innovative solutions. We cannot afford to accept and follow along in broken and unjust systems.
Acting true to ourselves is the way to recover. Having self-acceptance is the key to healing. We’re living with challenges and can discover a life of purpose as Cowart asserts.
Inspired by reading I’m Possible, I decided to work on one self-development project each year. At the end of 2023, I bought at a reduced cost, the Photoshop 2024 software. Taking a tip from Cowart, I taught myself how to edit photos and create digital designs.
From a young age, failing in school, it did not appear that Jeremy Cowart would become a success later in life. This is his message—and my sentiment that should give peers hope: Where you start is not where you must remain.
Mental health staff see us at our worst when we’re newly diagnosed. Please do not believe any of them who tell you that you cannot do much. Take to heart the words of Jeremy Cowart: You’re Possible.
Author Info:
Christina Bruni
Christina Bruni is the author of the new book Working Assets: A Career Guide for Peers. She contributed a chapter "Recovery is Within Reach" to Benessere Psicologico: Contemporary Thought on Italian American Mental Health.
