Strength Scale

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger."... Lou Holtz

Individual greatness is a common birthright, although there's no guarantee any of us will ever live up to our true possibilities. I suspect even the brightest among us still have some fancy unused lighting stored away somewhere. And I know even when true potential does exist if it's left untended it simply never matures. And face it, sometimes it's much easier to be invisible and generic than front row and spot-lighted. That kind of glamour and glitter just isn't for every man, woman, and child.

After all... some of us need to be available to populate the audience. It's certainly a wonderful thing that there are so many different measures of greatness. That offers a much better chance of everyone getting their fair share with just a bit of effort when fame and fortune aren't involved in the equation. And some measurements only require common sense... uncommonly acted upon... meaning that with a bit of forethought we can all be extraordinary in some fashion or form that's unique to our place and time!!!

Most things in life test our patience, some days it feels as if we're single-handily bench pressing the entire weight of the world. Learning perfect balance is mandatory to holding onto whatever we must, but true balance also means discovering what we can and should stop lugging around. Adversity makes us choose. Bull-shit forces change and if it doesn't that's bull-shit too!!!

We're often like pioneers with big dreams, who pack a wagon full of bright and shinny bobbles and head for better pastures. Long before the trip is over the trail is littered with all things useless to our survival. Adapting to our surrounding is mandatory. All lessons learned this way are priceless... often they're brutal... yet the better learned the higher our capacity for greatness.

What makes humans truly great is our capacity to weather most anything and come out smiling. We're not only a product of what happens to us, we're also the total of HOW we react to the situations in our lifetime. Situations change and to be truly great we must change with them. And when alterations occur it just makes sense to subtract what is negative in favor of adding positives. If you're remodeling in any other fashion then rethink your choices. When someone wants to brighten their surroundings they don't paint the walls black, yet dwelling on bull-shit is the darkest pigment on the pallet.

Two days ago I had the most wonderful post written for this quote. When I pushed publish my computer ate my homework. My heart instantly dropped into my socks. My temperature began to rise, but three heartbeats later I took a deep breath and rose from this chair and went straight to bed... and straight to sleep. The following day I attempted to redo what was lost, but it felt too much like a chore. For two days I mostly used my time online to meet new friends and revisit older ones who seem to get true comfort from hearing my step echo beside their own. My reward is 3 new relationships, several older ones refreshed and renewed, and this post, which is better, longer, and wiser than the eaten one.

I've been on this journey for a very long time, yet I'm still rearranging my wagon. If I have true wisdom, I'll never simply settle for whatever is already packed as being all that is needed for a full life. Hopefully, I'll always have room for the treasures I stumble upon and not leave them behind in favor of some bright and shinny bobble. Think about it.... let it ride.... then decide!!!!