Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico in 1907. She was inflicted as a child with polio and planned on going to medical school. When she was 18, she was involved in a bus accident. The handrail in the bus went through her body like a sword. For months she was in a body cast.
Growing up, Frida had loved to draw, and that became her way to deal with her pain. Her mother rigged up an easel so she could paint while in bed. With little that she could use as a model, her mother placed a mirror so that she could do self-portraits. Not only did the mirror give her something to draw, but it also gave her a form of therapy as Frida captured her emotions. You can see some of those portraits here. LINK
While she had exhibits during her lifetime, her fragile body limited her mobility. She passed away at age 47. As is the case with many artists, she was discovered after her death. By the end of the 20th Century, she became a revered artist for her portrayals of Mexican culture and her artistic expressions of feminism.
Frida Kahlo is one of many people whose original life plan did not go as envisioned. We often refer to that second plan as Plan B. But in many cases, Plan B is the emergence of our true self and life purpose.
Why do so many people experience the wonders of a Plan B? Could it be a guiding hand or fate? Could it be a necessity of life becoming a true passion? Maybe it’s an awareness that our original plan wasn’t ours at all, but the hopes of others.
Think about the immense talent that was never realized because Plan A was never interrupted. How many people have lived successful lives but never experienced the true joy of what might have been? And how might society have been richer if they had shared with us their Plan B? These are unanswerable questions. But what we do know is that Plan B is an opportunity for a fuller life, not a setback.
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“The most successful people who are those who are good at Plan B.” – James Yorke (mathematics professor)