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Born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a rare disorder causing extremely
fragile bones, Sean Stephenson was not expected to live through his first night. He suffered
more than 200 bone fractures by age eighteen, reached a height of only three feet, and is permanently confined to a wheelchair.
Undeterred by his physical limitations, Stephenson faces his life with optimism and enthusiasm. At the tender age of nine, Stephenson found the purpose to his life after suffering a fracture to his
left femur from a simple activity that wouldn’t have even bruised the average child. His mother then asked a life-altering
question, “Sean, is this going to be a gift or a burden?” Her question set Stephenson free, and the answer fueled
a quest to show the world that we choose whether every moment is a gift or a burden. Despite his challenges, he took a stand
for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world, including Tony Robbins and President Clinton.
By the age of 32 in 2009, Stephenson has had more life adventures than many people who
are twice his age. He graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with high honor. Stephenson received his psychotherapy degrees
from American Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii. As a board-certified psychotherapist, Stephenson runs a private practice
out of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. Spending time in the political sector, he worked on Capitol Hill for U.S. Congressman William
O. Lipinski and in the White House alongside President Clinton. He has also testified in front of the United States Senate
on two separate occasions. After
realizing that he could change the world in ways besides politics, Stephenson branched off and developed a thriving professional
speaking business addressing schools, companies, associations, prisons, hospitals and public seminar events. Over the past
decade, Sean Stephenson has traveled to over forty-seven states and six countries, where he has found that individuals are
notorious for making excuses. "I would love myself, ‘BUT’ I am not pretty enough, wealthy enough, popular
enough, ‘BUT’ it won’t make a difference, etc." Sean has created a movement committed to educating
people how to get off their ‘BUTS’ and STAND in life. Stephenson has recently written his fourth book, “Get
Off Your ‘But’: How to End Self-Sabotage and Stand Up for Yourself” (Wiley, May 2009), which is a hands-on
guide for overcoming the forces of negativity and self-sabotage. The book offers an inspiring program for surviving difficult
time, eliminating excuses, ending insecurities and standing up for happiness and success in life.
In late 2009,
I had the privilege to attend a speech by Sean. In his presentation, he outlines
where "BUTS" come from, why they control us, and how to get off of them. Audiences are taken on a journey through
human potential; using emotional stories from his life, Sean proves that we can all triumph with the power of 'Standing'. To get off one's "BUTS", one needs to stand up for himself/herself. It was full of humors,
yet dynamic, powerful, and very inspirational. At the end of the presentation, everybody in the room could not help giving
Sean a standing ovation.
“Sean is an amazing person with an important message."
President Bill Clinton
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