Positivity: Josie Pearson

A positive attitude helps you cope more easily with the ups and downs of life. It brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worries and negative thinking. In this episode of DTMTS recorded live at the Hay literary festival in Wales, Simon Mundie sits down with Paralympic gold medallist Josie Pearson to hear about her ‘glass if half full’ approach. Josie was involved in a car accident in 2003 in which she broke her neck leaving her paralysed from the mid-chest downwards. Her boyfriend, who was driving the car, was killed. After the accident, Josie played wheelchair rugby at Beijing 2008, before breaking the world record on the way to winning discus gold at London 2012. Josie credits her sporting success and ability to adapt to life after the accident to her positive outlook, and she talks about the importance of looking for the good things in life, rather than focussing on the bad. Josie talks about the importance of patience in life and aiming high, as well as not sweating the small stuff and appreciating what’s really important.