Remember

No one wants pain, troubles or hardship, but it’s absolutely inevitable that we all will have plenty of each. And they won’t come at times of our choosing or in doses we think are manageable. Adversity is never welcome, but it’s not necessarily our enemy.

As the blade is sharpened by friction with a harder stone, our character and the quality of our lives can be shaped and strengthened through struggle and striving. Shakespeare said, “Sweet are the uses of adversity / Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous / Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.” Adversity’s precious jewel is cut by the chisels of confidence and competence forged in a process of confronting and overcoming difficulties. As Nietzsche said, what doesn’t destroy us makes us stronger.

This poem reminds us that what we need is not always what we want:


I asked for Strength / And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong
I asked for Wisdom / And God gave me Problems to solve

I asked for Prosperity / And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work
I asked for Courage / And God gave me Danger to overcome

I asked for Love / And God gave me Troubled People to help
I asked for Favor / And God gave me Opportunities

I got nothing I wanted
But I received everything I needed

The road to achievement and fulfillment is dotted with hazards and tragedies that can wound us, frighten us and slow us down. But afflictions and misfortunes can stop us only if we surrender. If we exercise courage, patience and perseverance we can overcome any adversity, bearing pains we cannot relieve and solving problems we cannot avoid.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
For more:http://www.charactercounts.org/knxwk289.htm#1