How Bad Is the Problem That Troubles You?

How Bad Is the Problem That Troubles You?

There are times when we all feel that the world is resting on our

shoulders, that our problems are earth-shattering—that is, until we look

all around ourselves.

“I had the blues because I had no shoes until, upon the street, I met a

man who had no feet.”

—Ancient Persian saying

“We each have felt at some time in our lives that things were the

worst they have ever been. Maybe it was because of the loss of personal

property of some kind, the theft of a possession such as a car, a wallet, a

pocketbook, the loss of our home due to flood or fire. Or maybe it was

the loss of our mobility, the inability to walk, broken bones, or sickness

of some kind.

Maybe we have terrible throbbing pain, such as back pain, that

makes life miserable at times. I don’t know about you, but it seems that

if I am ever feeling down about myself or my health, I suddenly seem

to come across an eye-opening wake-up call. I may be having terrible

sciatica pain all day, which can be extremely agonizing. It radiates from

the back on down one leg to the toes. Sometimes it happens out of the

blue and can be quite bothersome.

It is usually on such a day when I’m feeling slightly sorry for myself

that I come across that magical wake-up call. It may be something as

simple as an elderly person who is wracked with pain, slowly limping. Or

maybe I come across a person who is wheelchair-bound, handicapped,

blind, or mentally disabled. I then suddenly, magically, feel fantastic

about myself, my body, my aches and pains.

“Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and

appreciate until they have been depleted.”

—Denis Waitley (b. 1933), American motivational speaker, writer

Put It All in Perspective

As I am writing this chapter and listening to the television

background noise that we call entertainment, I hear a very troubling

story. On an army base in Texas, an army major suddenly snapped and

shot two guns, killing twelve people and wounding over thirty more.

Once again, it seems like people were in the wrong place at the wrong

time. And once again, my back doesn’t really hurt anymore. Twelve

totally innocent lives. People who woke up just like I did this morning,

made breakfast, and got ready for work.

Not once did those dead individuals think that their lives would end

that day. It probably didn’t cross their minds even once the day before

that life is short, that they have much more to accomplish in their lives,

and that time is of the essence. We don’t really ponder our fate much.

We don’t really take an accounting of our lives now, or over the past five

years, or of what we need to accomplish in the next five years. We all

know that life is short. We all know that life is uncertain. But I maintain

that we don’t act upon this fact very often, that we procrastinate to a

large degree, even knowing that we could very well accomplish much

more and accomplish it far faster.

Now here is the good news. Look around and find the positives

that surround you. As I listen, while writing, to the background press

conference about the killings at Fort Hood, Texas, I remember that my

uncle will be celebrating his ninety-fifth birthday in a few days. He is in

very good shape, very sharp of mind, and still drives his own vehicle all

around. He lives alone and cares for himself, as he is a widower. I draw a

great deal of inspiration from this 95-year-old man who does not dwell

on sickness or death, but merely politely ignores all talk of such things.

My uncle would rather discuss whatever is of interest to him at that

moment. We all know such older people. We each can draw tremendous

inspiration from them.”

“A boy’s will is in his life, and he dies when it is broken, as the colt dies

in harness, taking a new nature in becoming tame.”

—Henry Adams (1838-1918), American journalist

C-2012 J. Carinci from the book An All-Consuming Desire To Succeed