Crawford Keynotes Final Day Of AmericInn Conference

MINNEAPOLIS, MN— Motivational speaker and author Roger Crawford, whose story, Playing From The Heart, has sold thousands of copies, delivered an inspiring keynote speech Tuesday morning on the final day of AmericInn International’s annual conference being held here. Crawford, who is physically challenged, assured attendees at the Minneapolis Convention Center, that they could, indeed, “Achieve Success Despite The Obstacles,” the subject of his talk. “The essence of my life is really not far different from your life, because part of the human experience is that everyone faces adversity,” said Crawford, who overcame his own obstacles, being born with two fingers on his left hand, one finger on his right hand as well as sever leg disabilities, to become certified by the U.S. Professional Tennis Association and garnered awards as an NCAA Division 1 college athlete. “But what I have found is the ‘handicaps’ that disable us most often are not physical. They are the ones that we create for ourselves— the ones from the neck up,” added Crawford, who challenged attendees to recognize “limitations come in different forms: emotional, intellectual, physical and, of course, attitudinal.” Piggybacking on yesterday’s keynoter Ira Blumenthal’s observation that “change is inevitable,” Crawford added “challenge is inevitable, but I believe defeat is optional.” Indeed, he cited the condition of his hands as a gift, noting: “It taught me persistance…and gratitude.” When working through a situation, be it personal or professional, Crawford advised the attendees to remember “there’s no limit to how high we can bounce because our attitudes are the window through which we see our life experience…our beliefs drive our emotions and our emotions impact our behavior, and our behaviors dictate the results in our lives.” The AmericInn International Conference winds up this afternoon following a closed-door owner’s forum.— Stefani C. O’Connor