Sweet Adversity

"Self Pity is the worst possible disease that can affect mankind."

• John Huntsman
  

Sweet Adversity

I walked down the aisle near my office in the middle of the afternoon, just as the sun was beginning to wane. Just before I got to my office door I came across a colleague who also seemed to have the brightness of her eyes fading at the same pace as the sun. I stopped and spoke with her.

"What's wrong?" I queried.

"It's just been a long day. It seems as if every transaction is so hard these days." She said.

"I know." I said. "But the great thing is that over the past three years we've had the chance to become much better at what we do."

"You're right." She replied. "I think we've learned more in that time than most people learn their whole career."

I smiled and turned to walk away thinking, "isn't it nice to be able to change the way you think and instantly feel better?" And, I was reminded of something just as important.

When I look back on my life it is clear to me that I've grown most when facing challenges. But, it's just lately that I've begun to see adversity as a friend rather than a foe. Perhaps that's why I was so inspired when John Huntsman said, of his mother, "She died very young of cancer and her mother before her died of cancer. But on my mother's tombstone in a little Utah town are etched these words by Shakespeare: Sweet are the uses of adversity."

If you're like me, there are times when you've felt alone; perhaps in your own heart, in your job, or family. And, you know that you'll be tested and retested by adversity again and again as long as you live. But, you can bounce back if you can keep telling yourself, I know I can make it, I know I can make it. Then without hesitation go out and do something for someone else and put your arm around them. If you'll do that then you'll be able to defeat self pity, you won't feel sorry for yourself. You'll be doing just the opposite, you'll be feeling love, and you'll have God's feelings with you at all times.