Each of us is born into greatness. Sadly however, circumstances in life take control of us: We struggle with crippling emotions. We worry about our next career move. We are unsure of the next step in life. We are stressed about our relationships. We are overworked, overstretched, overburdened. We get bored, idle, and unproductive. We struggle with illness or disability.
Some experiences are outright draining: You study hard for exams but fail. You are up for a promotion, but your officemate gets it instead. You build a new home but watch it wash away in a flood, or go up in flames, or come down in a demolition. You have a happy marriage but learn of your spouse’s infidelity. You do your best to raise disciplined children but discover your son’s substance abuse. You establish a good business but face failure and bankruptcy anyway. You trust a friend but are betrayed. You see loved ones off in the morning but receive a telephone call about a fatal accident involving them. You visit your doctor for a regular checkup and he breaks the shocking news.
You feel as if you’ve been knocked down to the mat. You are struggling to get back on your feet but your strength is gone. You are exhausted. Should you throw in the towel?
Wait.
The experiences you go through are not who you are; they are just that – experiences. You must not allow the things you go through today to define your worth, or your future. You are much more than that. Winners accept the disappointment of being knocked down, but refuse to take it as the final result.
Australian Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs. He tells the story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle he endured while learning to deal with them as a child, teen, and young adult. “For the longest, loneliest time, I wondered if there was anyone on earth like me, and whether there was any purpose to my life other than pain and humiliation.” But Nick has overcome his disabilities to live an independent, rich, fulfilling, and “ridiculously good” life. He says that the most important goal is to find life’s purpose and to never give up.
You too can find the confidence to build a rewarding and productive life, despite those seemingly impossible odds that stand in your way. It’s time to get up from the mat. Take one step towards the direction of your goals today.
Copyright ©2014 David Waweru. Adapted from Champion, a product of WordAlive Publishers.
