Pistols at Dawn!… No, I’m just kidding, but I do have a Challenge for you, which I’ll get to later on…
I was in the shower today and I’ve wondered about all of the challenges that are in life, after working out, my competitive side was aching for something to challenge, and it got me thinking…
You have the classic “You against me” challenge, where someone pits their strength, or abilities against another persons strength or abilities, but that’s there between those two people, yet, what about the unknown challenges? The challenges when one man/woman faces against themselves? Their opponent is that voice inside their head saying, “No.” “Stop.” “I can’t.” Or perhaps, their opponent is a temptation or a habit that needs to be defeated in order to live a better life? Or even the challenge of where one is going to get their next meal, if you want to go to extremes like that.
Now, how do we face these challenges? Often times, people just ignore the challenge altogether and run, avoiding the responsibilities that are dependent on them. Some people think that the challenge is too great and they will be defeated so they might as well not even bother to try. And yet, there are others still, who despite the odds stacked against them, rise up to the challenge, regardless of what it may be.
These people are not fearless, nor are they the strongest of the clan, nor are they even the brightest, no, these people are scared, weak, and have no clue what to do. So why do they do it? Why stand when they’re so scared to? The answer to this is quite simple. It is because they are scared that they stand. It is because they are weak that they fight. It is because they have no idea what they are doing, that they make a decision.
” Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear” -Mark Twain
“When you do not know what you are doing and what you are doing is the best – that is inspiration” -Anon.
“You choose to go voluntarily into the fire. The blaze might well destroy you. But if you survive, every blow of the hammer will serve to shape your being. Every drop of water wrung from you will temper and strengthen your soul” -Margaret Weis
Each of these quotes from great minds acknowledge that in order to prove that you’re something, you must prove that you’re something you are not. Yes, it is the most difficult thing to ask of someone, it’s difficult to exert effort and rise above your limitations, and the reason for the difficulty is proportional to how much worth it, your goal really is.
And, as optimistic as I am, I am aware that not every battle will result in victory, you will fight a fight, and no matter how much effort you put, there are some fights you will lose. And when that happens, you must learn to accept defeat. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t walk away from it without learning a thing or two. Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.”
Defeat and the End are two very different places in life. Never mistake them. And now my Challenge for you:
Think of your defeats in Life, be they big or small, and think about how they’ve helped integrate you into who you are today. For you see, some defeats are victories in the long run…
See you around…
Red's Journey 