Rising to the Challenges of Life

I’ll never forget the day I took my son and daughter horse riding in the African bush years ago. Suddenly, Sacha’s horse reared and threw her. She hit the ground so hard that the dust rose and I was convinced she’d had her breath knocked out of her. But she got right up, remounted her horse and off we went again. She didn’t even hesitate.

Years later, she entered a roller-skating championship. She was the youngest and newest in the group, and the only one to fall flat on her face during her performance. Once again, she leapt back up onto her skates and continued on – to win. Nothing stops her, no matter how harsh the challenges are that life throws at her. And she’s had some hard knocks, but she is bulletproof. I am so proud of her. Would that we were all as tough, optimistic, enthusiastic, and courageous as Sacha. See the photo on the right, taken today at Mount Seymour in North Vancouver.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is true, depending on how you choose to react. You can get better or you can get bitter. You can allow it to weaken you or use it to be strengthened. It can be a stumbling block or a stepping stone. You can learn from every challenge and grow wiser and better.

A good illustration I once heard is that of two balls rolling along the road. They each face the same size bumps in the road, which represent problems and challenges, but the one ball is bigger than the other ball. The big ball easily rolls over the bumps, while the small ball has a rough time. It’s not the size of the trials that you face, but the size of your commitment and belief. It’s not how big your tests are, but how big YOU are. Kites fly higher AGAINST the wind. Obstacles are merely the rungs of the ladder to success. The more you overcome, the bigger you get. Rise to the challenge and be grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn. You are worthy.

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com