Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day, a good time to remember some of his lessons. Here’s a short excerpt from his final essay, “A Testament of Hope.”
“People are often surprised to learn that I am an optimist. They know how often I have been jailed, how frequently the days and nights have been filled with frustration and sorrow, how bitter and dangerous are my adversaries. They expect these experiences to harden me into a grim and desperate man.
They fail, however, to perceive the sense of affirmation generated by the challenge of embracing struggle and surmounting obstacles.”
I love the thought of turning challenges, struggle and surmounting obstacles into a sense of affirmation.
Think about people you admire who have struggled.
- Aren’t you more drawn to the person who has accomplished something impressive in spite of the struggle?
- Aren’t you especially impressed by the one who never let the challenge define them, who managed to stay mostly positive despite what they were going through?
I think of my sister. She had just moved East to be near her oldest daughter and 3 of her grandchildren, when she suffered an aortic aneurysm. Had it happened during the cross-country road trip, she might not be here!
You can listen to the whole story here, which was written up in Richmond Magazine, but the short and sweet version is that she had a very successful surgery, but suffered a somewhat rare complication, and ended up losing her feet. I was there to see the black toes, but never heard her complain. Her attitude was that she wanted to be there for her grandchildren, and they should do whatever they needed to ensure that.
And as she was going through the long physical rehab, and was told most patients in her situation would have stopped by then, but they were willing to work with her as long as she wanted, she said her goal was to get back on the golf course. And she accomplished that goal.
Now I tend to be an upbeat, glass-half-full kind of person. But I doubt I have the strength of character to have dealt with those challenges the way Carol did.
So what challenge or struggle are you facing? How can you shift your perspective to what you will accomplish despite it?
For another lesson from this great man, check out this.
What a strong and determined person your sister is! I read her story and what an inspiration to others going through half of what she has been through. As far as admiring someone who has struggled, that would be one of my grandsons. Long story short, he was heading down the wrong path when he was 16 years old. He had a vision of his grandmother (my mom) one night and she told him she loved him. I always told him to take the right path and he will have a great life. He followed the right path and now at 27 years old, he has a very successful auto detailing business that he started from the ground up about 8 years ago without any financing.
Good for your grandson!
John,
Your Sister is amazing. A hero I am sure in this world and to her family. Struggle is important in our lives, although at times it seems far too difficult. To see your Sister overcome so much because of love is a beautiful gift and inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing Martin Luther King’s quote and your Sister with us today.
Yes, she is. I’m glad you found her story inspirational, Cindy.
What a lovely way to honor Martin’s message, and your sister!
My mama Lois had polio at 9, (1921)and walked using crutches until 85, when she started using a wheel chair. She graciously did all she could for herself. This included going to secretarial school and working for the Farm Security Agency, saving the family farm during the depression!
I knew I was on the right path when I discovered my massage mentor also had polio, during that last epidemic in the late 40s, which led her to study the treatment that helped her most, massage!
Nadia: Bravo to your mama, and to your massage mentor!