the project you will ever work on is you

For my speech, I chose to write on my favorite subject - me
A quick internet search finds that the expression “the best project you will ever work on is you” is a common inspirational slogan.  You can find it printed on calendars, notepads, and journal diaries.
Sometimes there are muscular men or athletic women beside the phrase. Sometimes they are selling something like a gym membership or yoga lessons.
You may be wondering - what would Bella, with her supermodel good looks, super smarts, and super fit body ever have to work on.
I have an example of a personal project where I turned tragedy into triumph.
My life had been pretty much perfect until tragedy struck at the end of last summer holiday.
While swimming at Ahipara a stingray stabbed me right through the foot with its poisonous barb. Why it did this I’ll never know. But I did learn a lot about stingrays. The first thing I learned is that their venom is excruciatingly painful.
There was a hole right through my foot. Blood was everywhere. My tendon, bone, and nerve were severed. The wound had to be washed out so it didn’t get infected. I stayed in Kaitaia hospital for one night and Whangarei hospital for one night. In Whangarei Hospital they stitched up the tendint and skin. I was in a cast on crutches for about 6 weeks and I wore a moon boot for another month. When the boot came off my leg was skinny and short and could not bear any weight. I was devastated. 
I went to the physio. There was a lovely man named Shaveren who helped me get back on my feet, literally. He said the poison venom has damaged the nerves up the leg right up to my gluteus maximus and that had made the muscle wither away. He came up with a plan to help me.
I had to tiptoe walk, heel walk and massage the scar.
I borrowed an exercycle from my Grandmother to ride.
I got a medicine ball to push on with my foot and leg.
I took about 6 months to get back to normal.
So that’s a project I did on myself.
I have learned that people are really supportive, especially friends and family. But really, at the end of the day, the only one who could fix me is me...

You can’t look after anybody else if you don’t look after yourself.