So, life has not been fair with you. No one has it as bad as you.  You were left out when good luck was distributed.  No one knows the roadblocks you have faced or are facing right now.  Let’s look at a few examples of other individuals that have not been treated fairly to see how things have worked out for them:

• Emily Lemiska recently spoke to one of our manufacturing plants about the difference our products have made in her life. She was born with Klippel-Feil Syndrome (KFS), a defect in the spine in which several vertebrae are joined together. Emily is in constant pain, must rest several times a day, has limited movement, and has adapted her lifestyle in ways that we would all find confining. Yet, she remains an optimist and continues to make contributions to society and others by serving as a pain advocate, author, and motivational speaker. Her life has many obstacles, but she has worked to overcome them and thrive, despite them.

• Gymnast Simone Biles was abandoned by her mother as a toddler. She was adopted by her grandparents that provided a loving, nurturing home. Their support enabled her to overcome her early childhood challenges to become a three-time world champion and Olympic Gold Medalist. Today, Simone is known as “free-spirited, brightly igniting star” in her sport and, along the way, is inspiring a whole generation of new budding gymnasts.

• Abraham Lincoln was defeated for state legislature, failed in business, suffered the loss of his fiancé, had a nervous breakdown, was defeated for state speaker of the house, was defeated in a bid to become a Congressman, was defeated in his bid for the Senate (twice), and was defeated in a bid to become Vice-President. Yet, he persevered to become, arguably, the greatest US President.

• Thomas A. Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, had thousands of failures in his life before his greatest success. Yet, he is credited with saying, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

 

We are often quick to give up when obstacles appear in our path. Many times we simply think that life is not treating us fairly.  However, as we see with the examples above, it could be that the obstacles we face are not really obstacles at all, but they are events that actually enhance our lives.  Imagine, had Simone Biles not been raised by her grandparents, she may never had the opportunity to experience gymnastics.  Had Lincoln become frustrated to the point of giving up, what would America be like today?

We need to look at life’s events in a different way.  Could it be that obstacles occur simply to serve as a test of our character?  Will we buckle under the pressure of the obstacles, or will we use them as a springboard to success greater than could have ever happened otherwise?

“If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them.  But, obstacles don’t have to stop you.  If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up.  Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”  – Michael Jordan –

“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker T. Washington –

What about you? What obstacle do you need to climb, go through, or work around today?  And, how can you help someone else overcome the obstacles in their path?

Thanks to you all for making this a great journey together!  Have a “top ten” day!