Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. – C.S. Lewis
I twisted my ankle the other day by stepping into a hole in the gravel of my road. Incredibly painful but not altogether damaging. The worst part was that I was running at the time.
So I was able to demonstrate my grace to the world around me by scraping my knees, bruising my palms and nearly spraining my ankle. Luckily nothing bled, it only smarted a little. But the great thing about exercise is that you're so pumped up that you really don't notice the pain so much. So I was able to carry on and finish my run.
But by later that day and especially the next morning the swelling and pain were very noticeable. A few aspirins and most of the inflammation and discomfort were eased. I won't be running for a few days, mostly just to give it time to heal a bit properly and to ice it down. No sense in causing more damage if not needed.
But this little incident isn't going to stop me from my goals. In fact, it makes me that much more determined to get out there and get better and faster. Because by overcoming this obstacle I'm overcoming myself and my own shortcomings.
I'm leading myself to a marvelous destiny!
Granted, it might not be a trip to space or becoming a rock star or anything, but it is helping me on my way to a brighter future. Because success is a mind game as much as it is a physical one. When you let the hardships get in your way and bog you down, you become lost, discouraged, and unhappy.
That is the antithesis of success!
So when you sprain your ankle on the race track of life, don't let it stop you. Take a day or two (or more if it's a bad sprain) off then get right back to work!
Set yourself a high bar and break through those hard times! You're going to have them, we all do, and it's so much easier to face them head on!
On just the other side...
...it's a world you could never imagine until you get there! A world where your dreams (and more) come true and become extraordinary!
