In case we’ve never met, my name is Jimmy Curran. Looking at my picture the first thing you probably notice after my good looks is that I’m in a wheelchair, or that I’m “disabled.” But what exactly does that mean? By definition, disable means “to deprive of capability or effectiveness,” but if you got to know me I don’t think you would characterize me this way.

I went to college at Temple University, graduated with honors, did internships in NYC and Washington, D.C., and now I work full-time for a major health insurance company in downtown Philadelphia. More importantly, I live independently with assistance from aides in my own apartment, surround myself with my amazing family and friends, and live each and every day like I won’t get another one. So tell me, how disabled am I?

The term disable alone breeds the negative misconception that those with disabilities “cannot,” but my dad taught me can’t means won’t so I do. I can’t walk; you probably can’t dunk a basketball on a ten-foot net. My point: our limitations don’t define us. Everyone has limitations – and everyone has the ABILITY to use their strengths and resources to circumvent those limitations. Life is too short to make excuses. Disable your limits.