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When Life Gets Hard. . .
You wanted more. You got less.
You wanted this. You got that.
You wanted there. You got here.
You already know that things in life don't go exactly as planned.
And sometimes they go terribly, terribly wrong . . . .
Meg Johnson came to this life-changing realization seven years ago when she fell off a cliff in Southern Utah - a fall that left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. And though she sits for the rest of her mortal life, she stands tall with a message for her brothers and sisters of all abilities. When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'!
In this motivating and inspiring talk, When Life Gets Hard ..., motivational speaker and author Meg Johnson shares insights from her life that will make you laugh, cry, and rest assured that when your life gets tough, you, too, can keep on rollin'!
You wanted this. You got that.
You wanted there. You got here.
You already know that things in life don't go exactly as planned.
And sometimes they go terribly, terribly wrong . . . .
Meg Johnson came to this life-changing realization seven years ago when she fell off a cliff in Southern Utah - a fall that left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. And though she sits for the rest of her mortal life, she stands tall with a message for her brothers and sisters of all abilities. When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'!
In this motivating and inspiring talk, When Life Gets Hard ..., motivational speaker and author Meg Johnson shares insights from her life that will make you laugh, cry, and rest assured that when your life gets tough, you, too, can keep on rollin'!
80 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
8 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Meg Johnson
19 books18 followersMeg Johnson is a motivational speaker, author, artist, teacher, non-profit founder, and extreme tuna fish eater. She always wanted to be a motivational speaker but after taking a few courses in college she dropped out because she simply "wasn't passionate enough about anything" to speak about it.
Fast forward a few years, Meg found herself at the bottom of a 40 foot cliff in St. George, Utah after jumping for what seemed to be a boulder right in front of her (in subsequent returns to this area, Meg wonders how she could have ever mistaken this rugged area for anything but what it actually looked like). Meg broke her femurs, arms, collar bone, and neck in the landing. The arms and legs healed, but Meg's broken neck rendered her a C-7 quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down and without the use of her hands. Though Meg lost most of her abilities, she found her passion as she struggles to keep moving forward despite her inability to walk. Meg now speaks on her motto, which, she says, is applicable for people of all abilities: When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'!
Without the use of her legs, back, stomach, or hands, Meg refuses to sit still. She started out her time in a wheelchair by playing rugby with the Utah Scorpions. After realizing that sports aren't really her thing, Meg craved something more feminine, which, she says, "isn't really a part of the wheelchair world." But when Meg found out about the national Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant, she jumped at the opportunity. "I never did pageants before I was paralyzed," she says. "But I just wanted something - anything - girly." Utah didn't have a Ms. Wheelchair program so Meg competed as an independent delegate at Nationals in New York - 16 months after breaking her neck. She won the "Spirit Award."
After returning home from Ms. Wheelchair America, Meg and her boyfriend (now her husband) founded Ms. Wheelchair Utah. With many contestants and an audience exceeding 1300. This state pageant has grown to include three age groups and has become one of the largest in the nation.
Meg finished her college degree at Weber State University in Communications and minored in English. She met her husband in college before she was paralyzed and he visited her while she was in the hospital. They were married four years later on February 29th in the Salt Lake Temple. Meg's husband, Whit, is a finance analyst for Weber State University by day and a half-time performer by night. They enjoy doing business and home projects together and riding bikes (well, Meg rides her hand-cycle and Whit rides his unicycle. Together, they have four wheels and many strange looks).
By word of mouth, Meg's popularity as a motivational speaker has grown and during the "busy season" (March - June) she averages 12-14 speeches each month. This website is a relatively recent addition and it allows people across the globe become inspired by Meg's newsletter, Meg's Monthly Message, her videos, and her blog.
Meg was contacted by Covenant Communications, a publishing company, to record her speeches onto CDs and into books. Meg loves to be able to reach a broader community in this way and share her funny, heartfelt, and true stories with audiences of all abilities. She says that "You don't have to be in a wheelchair to know what it feels like for life to get too hard to stand. Everyone has their own challenges and hardships and 'disabilities,' and knowing that my hard times help others to overcome their hard times makes every one of my hard times worth it. And in spite of - and maybe because of - our individual trials, we can all just keep on rollin'!"
Fast forward a few years, Meg found herself at the bottom of a 40 foot cliff in St. George, Utah after jumping for what seemed to be a boulder right in front of her (in subsequent returns to this area, Meg wonders how she could have ever mistaken this rugged area for anything but what it actually looked like). Meg broke her femurs, arms, collar bone, and neck in the landing. The arms and legs healed, but Meg's broken neck rendered her a C-7 quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down and without the use of her hands. Though Meg lost most of her abilities, she found her passion as she struggles to keep moving forward despite her inability to walk. Meg now speaks on her motto, which, she says, is applicable for people of all abilities: When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'!
Without the use of her legs, back, stomach, or hands, Meg refuses to sit still. She started out her time in a wheelchair by playing rugby with the Utah Scorpions. After realizing that sports aren't really her thing, Meg craved something more feminine, which, she says, "isn't really a part of the wheelchair world." But when Meg found out about the national Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant, she jumped at the opportunity. "I never did pageants before I was paralyzed," she says. "But I just wanted something - anything - girly." Utah didn't have a Ms. Wheelchair program so Meg competed as an independent delegate at Nationals in New York - 16 months after breaking her neck. She won the "Spirit Award."
After returning home from Ms. Wheelchair America, Meg and her boyfriend (now her husband) founded Ms. Wheelchair Utah. With many contestants and an audience exceeding 1300. This state pageant has grown to include three age groups and has become one of the largest in the nation.
Meg finished her college degree at Weber State University in Communications and minored in English. She met her husband in college before she was paralyzed and he visited her while she was in the hospital. They were married four years later on February 29th in the Salt Lake Temple. Meg's husband, Whit, is a finance analyst for Weber State University by day and a half-time performer by night. They enjoy doing business and home projects together and riding bikes (well, Meg rides her hand-cycle and Whit rides his unicycle. Together, they have four wheels and many strange looks).
By word of mouth, Meg's popularity as a motivational speaker has grown and during the "busy season" (March - June) she averages 12-14 speeches each month. This website is a relatively recent addition and it allows people across the globe become inspired by Meg's newsletter, Meg's Monthly Message, her videos, and her blog.
Meg was contacted by Covenant Communications, a publishing company, to record her speeches onto CDs and into books. Meg loves to be able to reach a broader community in this way and share her funny, heartfelt, and true stories with audiences of all abilities. She says that "You don't have to be in a wheelchair to know what it feels like for life to get too hard to stand. Everyone has their own challenges and hardships and 'disabilities,' and knowing that my hard times help others to overcome their hard times makes every one of my hard times worth it. And in spite of - and maybe because of - our individual trials, we can all just keep on rollin'!"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 12, 2016
I had the opportunity to listen to Meg Johnson speak at Time Out for Women earlier this year and really enjoyed her presentation. This book includes many of the stories that she shared in her talk, and I enjoyed it just as much. She does an excellent job of very humbly telling her story of becoming a quadriplegic, but instead of focusing the book on how horrible her trials were, her message is about how all of us have trials in life that "paralyze" us in one way or another, and understands that everyone's trials are unique but all are difficult. Through her stories, she teaches principles that everyone can apply to help them get through tough times. This was a very short, quick read, but was wonderfully and humbly written, providing a very uplifting and inspiring message. This will be a book I reference in the future.
September 23, 2024
I first saw this as something I could get through Deseret Bookshelf Plus. I downloaded the audio version, and I started listening to it on the way to an appointment. I knew I was going to have to wait, so I also downloaded the book version and did some reading. I'm sure the basic concepts are the same, but the audio version is her at a fireside (or something similar) giving a talk rather than reading the book. I definitely recommend listening rather than reading the book. She is absolutely hilarious to listen to. I found myself laughing and almost crying while I was listening to her. She is truly an amazing, inspirational person!
January 7, 2024
Very short, but powerful read! I really enjoyed her insight and stories. I can see how she is a motivational speaker.
And for anyone who doesn't know Meg Johnson, she accidentally jumped off a cliff and became a paraplegic. Her life and stories have touched many people with her perspective on life and the gospel.
I got this book from my book swap party last year. ☺️
And for anyone who doesn't know Meg Johnson, she accidentally jumped off a cliff and became a paraplegic. Her life and stories have touched many people with her perspective on life and the gospel.
I got this book from my book swap party last year. ☺️
August 18, 2017
I listened to the audio with her speaking. It was SO GOOD! I highly recommend it. It helps one feel like even though life gets hard it helps us to grow. and we can get through anything with prayer and faith.
September 25, 2022
Short but powerful really needed a re center after binge reading so many books.
Topics that this talk/ book touched on...
◇Joy
◇Faith
◇Greatutide
◇Happiness
◇Life lessons
◇And More
Super happy I picked this one up today, truly needed it. ♥️
Topics that this talk/ book touched on...
◇Joy
◇Faith
◇Greatutide
◇Happiness
◇Life lessons
◇And More
Super happy I picked this one up today, truly needed it. ♥️
March 20, 2018
This was an excellent, spiritually motivating book. A quick, easy read. Something to read at least once a year.
April 4, 2020
She is so positive and uplifting. Short, but great read
June 20, 2020
No matter how many times I lesson to this talk, I always take away something new. It will make you cry, but then it will make you laugh.
October 11, 2020
Inspiring account of someone who has dealt with very challenging circumstances with humor and positivity.
September 22, 2022
fabulous, insightful, funny and inspiring.
June 26, 2012
3.5 stars! Meg Johnson, the author, was down in Southern Utah when tragedy struck while she was out hiking with her friend.
"I went to check out a large grouping of giant red boulders. There were a number of them all squished together. I began to jump from boulder to boulder. My shoes, I quickly discovered, had super grip on the soles. I felt like a spider, catching the end of my shoe on a boulder and being stable and secure enough to push off to get to another landing place. It felt cool to be so limitless. It felt cool to be so powerful. It felt cool to play with nature. But it definitely wasn't cool outside; I actually felt hot. So I took off my olive-green zip-up jacket and threw it aside. It landed in a crumpled heap on the rocks as I continued to jump from one boulder to another...to another. And then I jumped for one last boulder...and it was the last time I ever jumped. By accident, when I jumped for that one last boulder in St. George, I jumped off a cliff. The boulder I had jumped for wasn't there. What I didn't understand then about the beautiful red-rock terrain of St. George was that all the red rocks and the red sand and the red dirt made everything blend together. The candy yam boulders that appeared to be squished together were actually separated by canyons and ravines-gaps. I woke up facedown in the sand to the sound of my friend frantically calling my name. It turned out that, when he came to look for me, he found my sweater o the boulders above. Looking down the thirty-five foot drop, he panicked when he saw my still body and ran.
This jump sadly left Meg a quadriplegic. But this book isn't sad! It's an inspiring message of having gratitude and serving others. It's about having a optimistic attitude and relying on God to help you "stand"! I was impressed. :)
Quotey quotes I liked and wanna remember-
"Frequently it is not easy to face up to that which is expected of us. Many think they cannot do it. We need a little more faith. We should know that the Lord will not give us commandments beyond our power to observe. He will not ask us to do things for which we lack the capacity. Our problem lies in our fears." (quoting President Gordon B. Hinckley)
"Albert Einstein once said that a person starts to live when he can live outside himself." -pg. 49
"Courage is not the absence of fear. Rather, it is the willingness and determination to do what needs doing anyway-despite how we feel." -pg. 63
"I went to check out a large grouping of giant red boulders. There were a number of them all squished together. I began to jump from boulder to boulder. My shoes, I quickly discovered, had super grip on the soles. I felt like a spider, catching the end of my shoe on a boulder and being stable and secure enough to push off to get to another landing place. It felt cool to be so limitless. It felt cool to be so powerful. It felt cool to play with nature. But it definitely wasn't cool outside; I actually felt hot. So I took off my olive-green zip-up jacket and threw it aside. It landed in a crumpled heap on the rocks as I continued to jump from one boulder to another...to another. And then I jumped for one last boulder...and it was the last time I ever jumped. By accident, when I jumped for that one last boulder in St. George, I jumped off a cliff. The boulder I had jumped for wasn't there. What I didn't understand then about the beautiful red-rock terrain of St. George was that all the red rocks and the red sand and the red dirt made everything blend together. The candy yam boulders that appeared to be squished together were actually separated by canyons and ravines-gaps. I woke up facedown in the sand to the sound of my friend frantically calling my name. It turned out that, when he came to look for me, he found my sweater o the boulders above. Looking down the thirty-five foot drop, he panicked when he saw my still body and ran.
This jump sadly left Meg a quadriplegic. But this book isn't sad! It's an inspiring message of having gratitude and serving others. It's about having a optimistic attitude and relying on God to help you "stand"! I was impressed. :)
Quotey quotes I liked and wanna remember-
"Frequently it is not easy to face up to that which is expected of us. Many think they cannot do it. We need a little more faith. We should know that the Lord will not give us commandments beyond our power to observe. He will not ask us to do things for which we lack the capacity. Our problem lies in our fears." (quoting President Gordon B. Hinckley)
"Albert Einstein once said that a person starts to live when he can live outside himself." -pg. 49
"Courage is not the absence of fear. Rather, it is the willingness and determination to do what needs doing anyway-despite how we feel." -pg. 63
July 6, 2016
Meg Johnson is an LDS C-7 quadriplegic with an inspiring message—the hardest trials in life aren't physical. I had the opportunity to hear her speak last week and I listened to her CD during a long car ride over the weekend. Aside from fulfilling my curiosity about how she lives her life and raises a child while confined to a wheelchair, her stories were so relatable and uplifting. She focuses on how the gospel of Jesus Christ can help us overcome emotional, social, and spiritual disabilities. I LOVE the short film about her life and I suggest everyone should watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Fnv...
Her optimistic attitude is contagious. The next time a difficult trial arises, I hope I greet it with a smile and a prayer for guidance.
Her optimistic attitude is contagious. The next time a difficult trial arises, I hope I greet it with a smile and a prayer for guidance.
September 4, 2012
Meg Johnson's When Life Gets Hard... is an amazing book radiating with enthusiasm and zest that can not help but lift your spirits and motivate you to push a little harder against the world. Using physical paralysis to parallel spiritual paralysis and the difficulties that lie in each one, Meg gives four ways to avoid spiritual paralysis. Using the acronym GAPS, she gives examples from her own life that illustrate how gratitude, attitude, prayer, and scripture study will prevent spiritual paralysis. I really enjoyed this book and the spunky candid style of the author.
October 17, 2013
This book was great! I love how she puts in her real-life stories and brings together the lessons she's learn with scriptures and quotes from general authorities. She has an awesome way of looking at things and I like her simple advice on how to 'close the gaps' in your spiritual life. She is entertaining and 'real'. Definitely an uplifting book that deserves to be revisited from time to time.
September 8, 2013
Meg Johnson came to a life-changing situation when she fell off a cliff in Southern Utah. This fall left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. She is beautiful both inside and out. Her message is "When life gets too hard to stand, just keep on rollin'. She is a motivational speaker and writer and her message helped me focus on the blessings in my life, because life never hands us exactly what we are expecting.
September 7, 2012
Meg Johnson is this AMAZING person... who "accidentally" jumped off a cliff~~
She now realizes she had misjudged the "gap" that was in front of her...leaving her paralyzed from the chest down and in her hands.
In this book she helps us close our "emotional gaps" using that acronym:
G - Gratitude
A - Attitude
P - Prayer
S - Service
So inspirational...so wonderful...so motivating!
She now realizes she had misjudged the "gap" that was in front of her...leaving her paralyzed from the chest down and in her hands.
In this book she helps us close our "emotional gaps" using that acronym:
G - Gratitude
A - Attitude
P - Prayer
S - Service
So inspirational...so wonderful...so motivating!
October 2, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised by the relevance and tenacity of this book. The author became a quadriplegic at age 22 and she shares the faith and strength she applied to make it through her own challenges to help us make it through our own. I'd recommend this book to anyone needing an uplift during hard times. Meg Johnson is a terrific example.
May 31, 2012
I liked her talk on cd better. The book had too many mixed metaphors for me to get the gist of her message. After falling off a cliff in southern Utah, Meg Johnson stuggles with closing the 'gaps' and overcoming spiritual paralysis as well as physical paralysis.
September 26, 2012
Well written, with great examples from Meg's life, of how to "keep on rollin'", when life gets hard. She is such a wonderful example to all of us, through her experiences in a wheel-chair! Love her!
October 9, 2012
WOW! Meg is amazing. The things that she has gone through in her life. The struggles she has on a daily basis, and yet she is so strong and spiritual. I have a lot to do to be like her. I need to fill in the G A P S. with Gratitude, attitude, prayer and service.
December 28, 2015
I have had the opportunity to hear Meg Johnson speak and was so excited to read this little book. It did not disappoint. What a great reminder to just keep on going even when it's tough. I loved this book.
Read
June 28, 2012Anmazing story of a girl who became a quadriplegic.
July 30, 2012
Excellent read. Quick and inspiring.
August 12, 2012
An inspiring book that helps lift you up when you are down. Remember gratitude, attitude, prayer and service.
October 5, 2012
About a woman who has an accident and becomes paralized. How she copes and lessons she learns. Did this for ward book club.
March 30, 2014
Very uplifting message for young and old! A good reminder of how to live life in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Thank you for sharing your story and testimony. :)
April 12, 2015
Very inspirational!
January 29, 2016
Couldn't love this more! Inspirational, funny and thought-provoking. A short but amazing read!! Thoroughly uplifting!
March 29, 2016
Loved it
April 8, 2016
I really enjoyed this!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews