In The Face Of Odds

The Propelling Force in the face of Odds

In the face of Odds, it is the inward motivation you have that keeps revving the engine of our life. We need to be persons of persistence and endurance. As persistence is like a habit to some, so is quitting. We know the familiar and sometimes obvious thing… “that quitters never win and winners never quit”.

What is it that you are passing through?

You must have it in mind that the situation which you are facing should make you a better person. You shouldn’t give in neither should you give up, but face the challenge squarely. Let us learn from the story of the Chinese bamboo tree. The first four years of the tree requires consistent watering and fertilizing. There is something disheartening in this first four year, which is that there is no significant result from all the effort of the four years.

On getting to the fifth year, the same routine is continued. In five weeks time into the fifth year, the tree grows ninety feet in height. The intriguing question is, “Did it take five years or five weeks for the Chinese bamboo to grow up to ninety feet tall?” the answer is five years. Within those years, if the watering and fertilizing had stopped, the tree would have died.

We should learn from the story of the Chinese bamboo tree and not give up in the face of odds. Again we must keep digging, since the most costly and precious stones are not always found on the surface of the earth. A lot of digging must be done to reach them. This should remind us, that whatever it is that we want to achieve, we all need to apply some effort to bring it to fruition. Maybe a little bit – Maybe a lot. During the process of digging, we may encounter some obstacles and bottle necks. It then needs us to overcome them and keep moving.

Keep Going

The focus should be on the bigger picture and not on the present challenge. Great achievements of the past couldn’t have been possible if the people behind them did not strive to overcome the challenges they faced. The renowned inventor, Thomas Edison, failed so many times before he achieved most of his goals. But he never saw those failures as a setback but more as stepping stones towards achieving the bigger picture. David Bly also tell us that “striving for success without putting in some hard work, is like striving to harvest from where you never planted”. We have all expended enough energy and resources for us to simply give up.

Choose Gratitude

A life of gratitude is the best life there is. Appreciation for every little thing that comes our way. Take for instance, we give or do something for someone. If the person appreciates it and shows how important what we’ve done is to them, subsequently we will be propelled to do more . There is a kind of feeling that always grow in us when people appreciate what we have done for them. Having this in mind, let us show gratitude for the favors that comes our way. In so doing, more will find its way to us.

Know that thanksgiving is an attitude of someone who is productive. Regret for yesterday’s mistakes and anxiety over tomorrow will never allow you to be grateful for what you have today. Let us learn to live in the moment.

[Editor’s Note: The Propelling Force in the face of Odds written by: Larry Olliver]