The human being’s ability to overcome adversities is unbelievable. Some examples make us believe the human being has yet to discover all he is capable of.

        Our own lives also serve as examples. One of these examples is the pianist João Carlos Martins.

        He started studying piano at 8 years of age. After 9 months of classes, he won, with honors, the São Paulo Bach Society’s contest. He was a prodigy.

        His career as an international pianist skyrocketed. He played at the most prestigious concert halls in the world.

        He dedicated himself to Bach’s work.

        At the peak of fame, he suffered a great setback. Playing soccer, his other passion besides music, he fell over his own arm. The accident deprived him of the use of his hand.

        For anyone, this would be a tragedy. For him, it was a total disaster. But he did not throw in the towel.

        He was submitted to surgeries, painful physical therapy sessions, injections on the palm of his hand.

        And he went back to the piano and the best concert halls, in pain and with passion.

        But Martins’ persistence would again be put to the test. Years later, victim of a robbery in Bulgaria, he was violently assaulted.

        As a consequence, both his hand were affected.

        To recover his work tool, he went back to the operating rooms and to physical therapy.

        He was able to go back to his beloved piano once again. Finally, in 2002, the injuries beat him. His hands were definitely dominated by paralysis.

        It was the end of his career as pianist.

        He gave up the piano but not his great passion, music.

        At 63 years of age, he started studying musical conduction. Two years later, he conducted the English Chamber Orchestra in London.

        At a concert in São Paulo, he surprised everyone again. He conducted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony totally by heart.

        He had to memorize all the notes of the piece because he was unable to turn the pages on his score.

        The audience burst in applause.

        But João Carlos Martins had yet another surprise for the public that evening.

        He asked for a piano to be raised to the stage and, with the three fingers he could still move, played one of Bach’s pieces.

        The Air on the G String was originally written for the violin. It is a musical piece in which the violinist uses only the G string to execute the beautiful melody.

        Well, Martins executed it on the piano with three fingers.

        And though it was not his intention, the impression left in the air was that everyone present felt very small before the greatness of João Carlos Martins.

*   *   *

        Like Martins, there are many examples.

        People who have damaged their work tools and get back on their feet, not giving in to adversity.

        We are reminded of Beethoven, the composer, who lost his hearing and still did not give up composing.

        Helen Keller was blind, deaf and mute and became the first person with triple impairment to achieve a college degree.

        She became a public speaker, spokeswoman for those with impairments, and writer.

        Think about this and never let yourself be held back because adversity embraces you.

        Think: you can overcome it. Overcome it.

Spiritist Moment Team, based on the biography of João Carlos Martins, taken from pt.wikipedia.org.wiki/joão_carlos_martins.
July.14 2008.