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19.05.2016 Feature Article

Face Your Adversity Positively

Face Your Adversity Positively
19.05.2016 LISTEN

There is no education like adversity.-Disraeli.
Turn your wounds into wisdom.-Oprah Winfrey.
I recently read a book entitled “Inspiring Stories For The Soul” by Ellen Smith. One of the stories inspired so much that I am retelling it for the benefit of readers. It has a powerful message for people who are facing adversity.

I believe readers will distill wisdom from it to empower themselves and face any form of adversity with a courageous attitude.

Here is the story. Read on.
There was an old mule. It was owned by a farmer.
One day the mule accidentally fell into the farmer’s dry well. It struggled and made desperate efforts to come out of the well but was unsuccessful.

It brayed and this drew the farmer’s attention. He came and assessed the situation.

He thought to himself; neither the mule nor the well was worth the effort to save them.

The farmer went for shovels and called neighbours to help bury the animal. When the first shovel of sand landed on the mule, it became terrified and hysterical.

The mule had to think up a solution fast or risk being buried alive. As the mule was thinking, one hopeful idea popped up and he said to himself, “I will shake it off and step up”.

Any time a shovel of sand landed on its back, it will shake it off and step up. After some time the mule was able to jump out of the well.

Onlookers and those who were trying to bury the mule were astonished by what they saw. The sand that was meant to bury the animal actually saved its life.

Although visibly tired, he was the winner. He faced his adversity positively and courageously.

He saved his own life through positive thinking, persistence, confidence and relentless efforts. In the case of the mule, giving up was not an option.

Friend adversity will always happen no matter how careful or intelligent you are. How you react or handle such situations is what matters.

Don’t give up with the least opposition to your dreams. Don’t fret and panic when unwelcome challenges show up. Instead shake off the problems and step up and become a winner.

Let me conclude my thoughts with this quote from Kenji Miyazawa who said, “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” Hope this story nourishes your soul.

Yours in inspiration,
ABUNDANT ROBERT AWOLUGUTU
Prison Officer, Priest & Author.

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