We are all persistent. We all pound our way through obstacles and problems. Some of us brag about how resilient we are or how tough we can be when faced with problems. All of what we say and believe is true.
We can think of dozens of times we didn’t give up, didn’t back down, or didn’t buckle under pressure. As proud as we are of the things that we were able to overcome, sometime or many times in our life, we will be faced with a mountain we are not strong enough to climb or a river that is too deep for us to cross or a wave that is too big for us to withstand.
You can be the toughest person on the deck, (or the meanest SOB in the valley, as some say) but when the biggest wave hits; your resolve will not keep you dry. Many times in life, the size of the wave we are facing is simply too big for us to withstand. It could be the birth of a premature baby. It could be a serious personal crisis. It could be an inherited disease. It could be an addiction. It could be a financial crisis.
There are times in our lives we will face a wave bigger than we have faced before and it will knock us over. There is no shame in being overwhelmed by a big wave. Houses, beaches, and roads have all been destroyed by big waves. Cities have been devastated by waves bigger than expected.
What separates the mediocre from the good and the great from the near-great is what happens AFTER the wave hits. How quickly and solidly the road is rebuilt, how soon the life is put back together or how effectively the beach is restored.
The list is endless:
- The entrepreneur who loses it all and then rises again.
- The addict who kicks the habit and stays clean.
- The town that was hit by a tornado and comes back bigger and better than ever.
- The pitcher who has arm surgery and makes it back to the big leagues.
- The child who has leukemia and beats it.
Those are also examples of the people and things in our society that we really admire. Everyone gets knocked down, and will continue to be knocked down. We admire most those who overcome adversity to succeed.
I admit that when you are lying flat on your back after taking one of life’s devastating blows, it can be hard at that moment to realize it was the size of the wave, and not you. But the length of time between being knocked down and getting back up obviously determines how quickly you will return to where you belong.
So the next time you are faced with a mountain too high, or a river too deep or a wave too big for you to handle, remember that what you need to do is focus not on what you just didn’t do, or couldn’t do, but what you need to do next.
Many years ago my four year old son got it right when he said to me: “It’s always today, isn’t it Dad?”
Yesterday is gone, and what you did or didn’t do then is not nearly as important as what you do today or tomorrow.
What happened yesterday determines your history.
What happens today determines your future, and you determine what happens today.
You determine what happens today.
May all your waves be small, and your resolve be strong.
You determine what happens today, and it is always today.
