The wisdom of the wind, the wisdom of the water, the wisdom of the soil, the wisdom of the trees. Aloha: the all, a way of life, an attitude. Musings from Abraham of Kauai From The Soul of Uncertainty
THE GOOD WITH THE BAD
The wisdom of the wind, the wisdom of the water, the wisdom of the soil, the wisdom of the trees. Aloha: the all, a way of life, an attitude. Musings from Abraham of Kauai From The Soul of Uncertainty
It was many years ago. I was a young struggling lawyer and one of my diversions from the stress was handball. Jack Whitehouse, was a formidable opponent on the court and just happened to be the newly elected President of the Communications Workers of America Union in San Francisco.
One day in the middle of a game, he offered me the position as their attorney. "I've made it," I thought to myself. I would receive a small monthly stipend from the nuts and bolts type of cases but it was the potential from a big case down the road that I hoped would pay big dividends.
For the next six months, I took care of the legal problems of the union members, but I did not make much more than the monthly stipend. I started to doubt the wisdom of the agreement that I had just entered into.
When I expressed my frustration to Jack, he replied, "You have to take the good with the bad." I kept waiting for the good and it wasn't until about a year later that things started to turn around. I was optimistic again and glad that I had this opportunity. A few months later, Jack lost the election and I was out of a job.
Over the years that cycle has repeated itself, but I still allow myself to get excited again about the possibilities and opportunities that come my way. I do temper this enthusiasm with the knowing that these moments are only temporary.
As we know life is constantly changing and unpredictable. At times we feel disappointed when things don't work out the way we had hoped. Quite often the source of that disappointment is when we feel let down by others not living up to our expectations.
We have in mind the perfect mythical person. You know that person who never lets us down, always meet our expectations, and is always there for us. In a perfect world those people are few and far between.
With life's many uncertainties, we have no way of knowing how it's all going to turn out. But we do get to choose how we experience it.
I'm reminded of the story about the farmer and his son and their one horse that helps them care for their land.
The horse runs away and the villagers say to him, "What bad fortune."
The farmer replies, "We'll see."
A week later the horse comes back with seven other horses and the villagers reply, "What good fortune."
While the son tries to train his favorite horse, he is thrown from the horse and severely breaks his leg and suffers other significant injuries.
The villagers reply, "What bad fortune."
The farmer replies, "We'll see."
Within a few weeks, war breaks out with a nearby village and all the healthy young men are drafted, but because the farmer's son is disabled he is unable to fight.
The villagers reply, "What good fortune."
We now know what the farmer would say, "We'll see what tomorrow will bring."
You've already experienced much in your life.
Your greatest resource is your ability to choose your attitude.
Be willing to keep dreaming. Dare to be bold.
Yes, you might be disappointed at times, but you can always choose to dream again.
Last week on the Inspire Possibility Show I interviewed Ralph Marston, the publisher of the Daily Motivator. Ralph shares with us his strategy for dealing with challenging circumstances. Let go and accept what is, and redirect your energy in a more positive direction. click here for the full interview.
There is no better time than NOW to enjoy this great adventure, this great mystery called LIFE.
Thank you for being part of the Inspire Possibility Community during these past years, and I hope you will encourage those in your circle to also become part of the Community. If you haven't done so already, become a fan of Inspire Possibility on Facebook.
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You know I love to hear from you. Feel free to share Possibilities with those in your circle. Until then,
Walk in Freedom
Mark
"I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive." Joseph Campbell
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Contact Mark to have him speak at your next conference or special event or retreat and design a program for it. For More Info Mark Susnow, knows change. At the turn of the new millennium, he transitioned from a successful career as a trial attorney to what he does now as a life coach and strategist and thought-leader inspiring others to believe in themselves.
He is passionate about life being an exciting journey of discovery. He integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation and playing music.
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