Once upon a time…
Wilson, an avid sailor, was ship-wrecked and stranded on an island somewhere in the South Pacific. Out of desperation, he begged and prayed to all the gods he could think of to send someone to rescue him. However, to his dismay, no one came.
Months passed by and Wilson became quite resourceful, learning how to survive on the island. During this time, he accumulated trinkets and keepsakes from around the island and stored them in a hut that he constructed out of palm leaves.
One day after fishing, Wilson wandered up the beach to find his entire hut on fire, along with everything else he owned. All of his possessions were going up in flames!
Wilson fell to his knees in shock. It suddenly dawned on him that the only things he had left were the clothes on his back and the fish in his hand. Consumed with anger and rage, he threw a fist into the air and began cursing at the sky in fury!
“Why? Why? Why? Why is this happening? What did I do to deserve this punishment?! I’ve tried so hard. What’s the point? I give up!”
He collapsed on the sand, weeping heavily at his own wretchedness. Suddenly he froze… Was that? It couldn’t be… Then he heard it again. The resounding long blast and deep growl of a ship’s horn. He squinted his eyes to see, off in the distance, a container ship heading in his direction.
Wilson was rescued, fed, and hydrated. As they were heading to the nearest port, he asked the captain, “How did you find me?”
The captain responded, “We were voyaging across the ocean when we noticed a column of smoke on the horizon. We decided to go and check it out. That’s when we found you!”
Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.”
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Moral of the Story:
Our most significant opportunities will be found during times of great difficulty. Misfortunes and adversities forcibly cause us to fall apart, but they are necessary elements of individual growth because they reveal our true potential. We must endure and overcome them to move forward. Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever. You never really know what’s coming. A small wave, or maybe a big one. All you can really do is dig deep and give it everything you’ve got to surf what might turn out to be the greatest wave of your life.
Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it. A crisis creates the opportunity to dive deep into the reservoirs of our very being, to rise to levels of confidence, strength, and resolve that we otherwise didn’t think we possessed. Every challenge, every adversity, contains within it the seeds of opportunity and growth. The real heroes are those who rebuild their lives using adversity as a stepping stone to greatness in the midst of the chaos life has thrown at them.
“Times of great calamity and confusion have been productive for the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace. The brightest thunder-bolt is elicited from the darkest storm.”
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Affirmation: I rise above all limitations
Each experience is a stepping stone in my life, including any so-called mistakes. I love myself for all my mistakes and missteps because they help me to grow. I can get through anything. Every challenge has a solution. Challenges are opportunities to learn and grow. I am safe and secure no matter what. I am getting stronger every day. I am flexible and can adapt when life doesn’t go according to plan. Life’s problems are not solved by perfect people, but by those who show up. I am someone who shows up. I know when to persevere along a path and when to let go and change course. I don’t have to go this road alone. I have, or can find, people in my life and examples to support and inspire me. I am worthy of love and my life is meaningful despite my losses. Life is full of constant change. This is just one chapter in my life’s story.
“So it is more useful to watch a man in times of peril, and in adversity to discern what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart, and the mask is torn off; reality remains.”
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