I Am Potential: Eight Lessons on Living, Loving, and Reaching Your Dreams
By Patrick Henry Hughes, Patrick John Hughes
Amazon Sales Rank: #60757 in Books Published on: 2009-08-25 Original language: English Number of items: 1 Binding: Paperback 264 pages
From Publishers Weekly Born with a complex of birth defects which led to malformed limbs, no eyes and more than a half-dozen surgeries in his first few years alone, wheelchair-bound University of Louisville student Hughes details a life overcoming enormous obstacles with hard work, devoted parents and a lifelong passion for music (he's even a Marching Cardinal, with the help of his father). Much of Hughes's story is also his dad's, and the straightforward narrative switches off between them, giving some dimension to otherwise flat prose (not necessarily a bad thing, as the remarkable story needs little adornment). Hughes's countless setbacks give stark life to perhaps-familiar lessons on acceptance and perseverance (chapter one: "When Life Gives You Lemons, Accept Them and Be Grateful"), but his spirit and triumphs also lead to lessons in pursuing your passion, giving love freely, and appreciating the people around your. For fans of television's Extreme Makeover Home Edition and the Grand Ole Opry, there's a behind-the-scenes chapter for each. A gentle evangelical streak comes out in occasional references to God, but the book is probably at its most parochial in the chapter, "Be the You Your Mother Would be Proud Of." Hughes's knowing but uplifting tone balances out the tragedies, making this an inspiring addition to the growing self-help-memoir shelf. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review "Florence Morning News,"1/9/09"An inspired sharing...Inspirational." Review Blogcritics.org, 8/27/09 “[A] heroic story.” Blogcritics.org, 8/17/09 “This book is a must read for people with handicapping conditions from birth or from fate. Patrick’s courage and the support given by mother, father, and brothers as he grew older, cannot help but inspire even the most depressed individual to accept a disabling condition and move forward. I Am Potential is fascinating to read…I cannot recommend this book highly enough to the general public who often see people with a handicap as a handicapped person. Patrick has proven the two terms are not equal or even logical.” Acadiana LifeStyle LA, October 2009 “This story of parental love and a persevering child should lift your spirits and encourage you to discover and pursue your own potential.”
Inspirational and Loving Life Story! If you saw the Hughes family on the ABC TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" this past February (2008) you may have wondered who they were and why they where chosen. The bigger story is however much deeper and more loving and certainly one that is most inspirational. The book " I Am Potential: Eight Lessons on Living, Loving, and Reaching Your Dreams" is a wonderful true life tale as told to Bryant Stamford by Patrick Henry Hughes and his father Patrick John Hughes. It goes well beyond just telling you who this family is and what makes Patrick Henry so special - it gives depth to the family experiences and gives the reader a look at something very special indeed. This book is about how a young man, who has not only over come his disabilities, but inspired a community; and now, he inspires an entire nation with his positive zest for life. It also shows how his father coped and dealt with it and how the whole family made it work. This is one of those feel good stories that would make a great feature movie by Disney. The story is uplifting and not about what is wrong, or what someone cannot do. It is a positive message that makes the greater family of mankind feel better. I enjoyed reading the book but I also found it impossible not to love this young man and to wish him all the best. He may be in a wheel chair and unable to see with his eyes - but he is moving others at light speed towards something much greater within their own selves. The book has a spiritual message without any lectures or ego driven, self-serving attitudes - it is honesty and pure love! This book has gotten the highest book rating of FIVE STARS from "The American Authors Association" and is on my short list of recommended must read books! I give this my personal endorsement. This is a book that all family members can read. Thank You Patrick Henry!! Thank You Patrick Henry!!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful story with the World. Thank you for allowing us to know you and your delightful family. Thank you for all that you have done to help the Crusade for Children, the March of Dimes, etc., etc.,. But mostly, thank you for inspiring both the physically able, and the disabled into being the BEST person we can be. God doesn't make mistakes. We were made the way we are, for a reason. I think, Your purpose is to share your many special gifts with the World. Through you, we see the World in a new light! Shine on, Shine on Patrick Henry!! Stumbling Into God's Blessings Patrick Henry Hughes and his dad, Patrick John Hughes, have combined to provide a most inspirational story, "I Am Potential," about facing the unthinkable and overcoming obstacles all face in life. Patrick Henry Hughes was born with an extremely rare genetic disorder: arms that could not straighten, legs that would never be able to walk, and most devastatingly of all, permanent blindness. He had been born with no eyes. The book centers on Patrick Henry's disabilities, his mother's steadfast faith in God, the role his parents played in helping him to be all that he can be, and his father's maturing into a responsible parent and man. "It is also a guide for those who seek to live their own life more meaningfully each day - demonstrating how with faith, perseverance, and unconditional love, almost anything is possible to achieve." When Patrick Henry was nine months old, an extraordinary thing happened, he began to began to play the piano and an exceptional music talent emerged. He plays in the University of Louisville's Marching (yes, marching band!), has performed with Pam Tillis at the Grand Ole Opry with Pam Tillis and has performed with Lone Star at Fan Fair at Nashville's Riverfront Stages in Nashville, is an acclaimed classical pianist and has performed at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and won the Disney Wide World of Sports Spirit Award as college football's most inspirational person. In "I Am Potential," Patrick provides many extraordinary insights into living a good life: "Our goals tell us what we intend to accomplish, and the plans we make re what we believe to be the most effective path. But what if along the way we find that the bridge is out? You may have to accept that your map doesn't match up with the road of real life. At that point, forget the directions and look around for a better route. Keep going, but be smart about it, and that includes being flexible. Quite often, those who achieve great things got their by a route they hadn't planned on, and to do that, you have to be open to all possibilities...God's plan for us is far better than the one we started with, but we have to be open in order to find that out. Many of us must stumble into God's blessings." "Some of us haven't found the thing in life that swallows us and fulfills us like nothing else can. All you have to do is keep trying new things. You'll find it, and when you do, you'll realize it's what you have been looking for all your life." Once, when his piano teacher asked if he wanted to know what she looked like. His quick response, "I already know what you look like, you are kind and generous, beautiful in every way." Patrick Henry is one of those rare individuals who is able to touch us genuinely, to instantly disarm us, and in doing so, allows communication soul to soul. We can all learn from him and his amazing attitude...his "I am potential" and defiance of his disabilities at every turn.
