Decisions, Decisions

Blind Pursuit

By Miles Hilton-Barber

In our early 20s, an unexpected genetic, hereditary eye disease robbed my brother Geoff and I of our sight. For years after, I believed that 20/20 vision was essential to live an exciting life of achievement and fulfilment!

Astounding the world

But as I learned from by brother, it's not our circumstances that determine our potential for success and fulfilment in life, but how we respond to them. Just two years before my Antarctic expedition, he had astounded the world by undertaking a 53-day, 4,300-mile solo voyage, blind and totally unsupported from Africa to Australia, relying only on speech-output technology.

My own experience has shown me that in decision making, our weakest area is in our personal lives: making a decision to live our PERSONAL dreams! But the recipe is simple: Dream. Decide. Plan. Persevere.

A heart-rending decision

My own dream was to become the first blind person in history to man-haul a sledge from the Antarctic Coast to the South Pole. Thirty-five days into my expedition, I faced a devastating, heart-rending decision: keep my fingers, or reach the Pole!

We were already well on our way, after hauling our sledges up onto the Antarctic Plateau, traversing crevassed areas and experiencing blizzard and whiteout conditions. But due to a hitherto unknown circulation problem, I was developing frostbite in my hands. My fingertips were turning white. My finger and thumbnails were turning ominously black!

A life-changing experience

I finally made a heart-rending decision: my fingers were more important than reaching the Pole. Failure? At one level, yes. But I am still the only blind person to have hauled a sledge over 250 miles across Antarctica. That's the equivalent of crossing the Greenland Ice Cap. And it was an incredible, life-changing and enriching experience for me.

The Pole is still there. And I still have my fingers!

Now, my friend, just before you get back to your work, scribble down one new thing you are going to do this year, decide when and how. Then tell somebody else right away. At the end of my life, I will be more concerned about things I have not attempted, rather than those I have! Take the risk of winning!

About the Author

A blind adventurer, Miles Hilton-Barber has completed the world's toughest marathons, climbed the world's highest mountains, piloted aircraft, deep-sea diving, hot-air ballooning, and more. He is currently Director of Motivational Development at the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) in the U.K. He is also an acclaimed international motivational speaker and the author of the soon-to-be-published book, Living Your Dreams.

In the last six years, Hilton-Barber has set numerous world records whilst undertaking extreme endurance events in the hottest and coldest places on earth. He is currently planning to fly a microlight more than half-way around the world.