What Now? (Finding Strength in Our Invisible Wounds)

A disabled entrepreneur finds strength in the invisible wounds we all carry, using the lessons from successful people who have overcome their own grief, trauma, guilt, and shame to thrive—not despite their wounds but because of them.

As a young boy, Jamie Diaferia decided not to let his birth defects be the most interesting thing about him. He grew up certain that his artificial leg and malformed fingers were the first thing people noticed, so he searched for other things to be known for. He couldn’t change how he looked, but he could change the circumstances of his life through persistence and hard work. In time, he learned that it was not his visible wounds that held him back, but instead the invisible ones that were the problem.

Everyone has their own version of an invisible wound—a hurt we carry that no one else can see. Diaferia discusses this phenomenon with celebrities and high achievers like Everclear lead singer Art Alexakis, TV personality Cat Greenleaf, and entrepreneur Peter Shankman, who have learned to cope, and even thrive, with their wounds. Diaferia finds that the key is accepting one’s wound and then asking: What now?

What Now? features stories of highly successful people who faced their challenges head-on. Rather than wallowing in “what ifs,” they accepted their wounds and used them as fuel, in the process providing a roadmap for the rest of us to find strength in the things that make us self-conscious.