Aimee Mullins was born with a physical condition that resulted in both her lower legs being amputated. As a child she spent a lot of time in hospital doing physiotherapy, which she hated. Her attitude to the physio changed one day, however, when a doctor praised how strong she was and offered her $100 if she could break the elastic bands she had been using to do her exercises. Simply by praising her effort and reframing the goal, the doctor gave Mullins a completely different view on what she had to achieve.
What really struck Mullins, though, was how the doctor’s use of language changed her perception of herself from someone who wasn’t capable to someone who was strong and getting stronger.
