On January 29, 2011, my life changed in a single second. I was 20, felt invincible, and suddenly I was trapped by a machine, lost fingers on my right hand, and was confronted with my own mortality for the first time.
Today, 15 years later, I look back at the boy in the hospital bed. If I could turn back time, what would I say to him?
It sounds like a cliché, but in this moment of utter hopelessness, it's the only thing that matters. We have no control over what happens to us, but we have total control over how we react to it. Life consists of ups and downs – and we have the ability to adapt.
Physical wounds heal. You learn to use one hand differently. But the trauma and anxiety triggered by the accident were the real challenge. My advice to my younger self: Trust in your body's ability to heal, but seek help for your soul. Therapy wasn't a sign of weakness, but rather the path back to a self-determined life.
Back then in Austria, I could hardly imagine earning a living as a creative. But my instincts always nudged me in the right direction. If you do what you love and surround yourself with people who challenge you, a path will open up. I firmly believe today: If you listen to the universe, it answers.
I fought against fear for a long time. Today I know: it's a part of me. Only when I stopped fighting it and accepted it as part of my story did I find true peace.
My conclusion after 15 years: Keep going. Keep moving. You will arrive exactly where you need to be. Today I am self-employed, a father of soon-to-be three children, and more grateful than ever for the path I have taken – scars and all.
