---
title: Voices From The Community | Spinal Cord Injury & Paralysis | Kristin Beale (6)
description: "Kristin Beale is a native of Richmond, Virginia. She is the author of three books, Greater Things and A Million Suns, Wide Awake, and a comic book, Date Me. Instagram: @kristin.gupta (6)"
---
[Community](https://www.christopherreeve.org/community) [Voices From The Community | Spinal Cord Injury & Paralysis | Kristin Beale (6)](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/author/kristin-beale/page/6)
# Voices from the Community
Our blog offers stories from the community, updates from the Reeve Foundation, and breaking news on research.
The opinions expressed in these blogs are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
[Latest from our community](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en) [Reeve Round Up](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en?cat=reeve-round-up) [Life After Paralysis](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en?cat=life-after-paralysis) [Research](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en?cat=research)
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[](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/how-to-improve-your-life-with-little-effort)
Lifestyle
## [How to Improve Your Life With Little Effort](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/how-to-improve-your-life-with-little-effort)
June 8, 2022
More than ever (or so it seems), our culture is obsessed with improvement. We’ve become obsessed with improving ourselves, improving the people... [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/how-to-improve-your-life-with-little-effort)
[ National Paralysis Resource Center](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/5-workout-items-every-person-with-a-spinal-cord-injury-should-own-1)
## [Take a Break](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/5-workout-items-every-person-with-a-spinal-cord-injury-should-own-1)
May 27, 2022
A few weeks ago, I told my husband, “I think I’m getting too old to do things.” This was after my (comparably, very relaxing) day of work and an... [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/5-workout-items-every-person-with-a-spinal-cord-injury-should-own-1)
[](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/spending-your-attention-allowance)
Lifestyle
## [Spending Your Attention Allowance](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/spending-your-attention-allowance)
May 19, 2022
There are a lot of things I wish I could give more of my attention to (the news, what people are doing, what they’re thinking), but I can’t. I just... [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/spending-your-attention-allowance)
[](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/take-off-your-mask)
Lifestyle
## [Take Off Your Mask](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/take-off-your-mask)
April 29, 2022
I’ve been in a wheelchair for 16 years, thanks to a Jet Ski collision when I was 14 years old. My 16 years have been full of adaptations,... [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/take-off-your-mask)
[ National Paralysis Resource Center](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/check-your-butt)
Lifestyle
## [Check Your Butt](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/check-your-butt)
November 17, 2021
I’ve learned a lot of obnoxious lessons, the hard way, in my almost two decades in disability. I’m rolling around with plenty of wisdom for newly... [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/check-your-butt)
[ National Paralysis Resource Center](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/step-away-from-it)
Lifestyle
## [Step Away From It](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/step-away-from-it)
August 30, 2021
I go to the bathroom approximately every four hours, on schedule. When I was first hurt, I lived my life four hours at a time. [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/step-away-from-it)
[ National Paralysis Resource Center](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/feet-on-fire)
Lifestyle
## [Feet on Fire](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/feet-on-fire)
May 21, 2021
My feet used to be on fire. [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/feet-on-fire)
[ National Paralysis Resource Center](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/the-burden-mindset)
Lifestyle
## [The Burden Mindset](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/the-burden-mindset)
October 1, 2020
In my 15 years of being and associating with people who are paralyzed, I’ve heard more than a couple of people express the sentiment of being a... [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/the-burden-mindset)
[ National Paralysis Resource Center](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/the-work-for-contentment)
Lifestyle
## [The Work for Contentment](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/the-work-for-contentment)
July 28, 2020
There are no steps to recovering from a traumatic event – let me speak from experience here. [Read More](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/life-after-paralysis/the-work-for-contentment)
[3](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/author/kristin-beale/page/3) [4](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/author/kristin-beale/page/4) [5](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/author/kristin-beale/page/5) [6](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/author/kristin-beale/page/6) [7](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/author/kristin-beale/page/7)
The opinions expressed in these blogs are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
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