What You Want And What You Need
I came across an interesting article recently, one that I would never have sought out but it reminded me that you can find hidden gems of information and common ground if you take the time to look. The article was about amor fati, Latin for "love of fate", and apparently it is a common saying in Stoicism. The only thing I knew about Stoicism was there was some contention with the early Christian Church and Stoics of that age.
The article opens with a story about Thomas Edison losing everything in a massive fire, destroying his life's work at the age of 67. His reaction to his son as he watched the inferno, "Go get your mother and all her friends. They will never see a fire like this again." and "We got rid of a lot of rubbish." Edison didn't get angry, lament for days or cry uncontrollably in the fetal position in his home. He took the hand that he was dealt and made the best of it. By the end of the first year after the fire the company had generated over $10 million in revenue, that is in 1914 dollars.
Sometimes what we may see as a great tragedy in our life turns out to be one of those defining moments. Moments that lead to a greater victory then we could have achieved had we not gone through it. At times losing may be the best way to learn how to win.
I can think in my own life of a number of times where I felt a situation was awful, but looking back now I am thankful for it. Like the time I was let go from my job. What could have been terrible forced me to look for a new opportunity. I quickly found a new opportunity that happened to be available when I needed it the most. It took me back into the IT field which was a better fit for me.
The Bible tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances" in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Rather than agonize over not getting what we wanted, maybe be thankful that what is coming next might be just what we need.
The article opens with a story about Thomas Edison losing everything in a massive fire, destroying his life's work at the age of 67. His reaction to his son as he watched the inferno, "Go get your mother and all her friends. They will never see a fire like this again." and "We got rid of a lot of rubbish." Edison didn't get angry, lament for days or cry uncontrollably in the fetal position in his home. He took the hand that he was dealt and made the best of it. By the end of the first year after the fire the company had generated over $10 million in revenue, that is in 1914 dollars.
Sometimes what we may see as a great tragedy in our life turns out to be one of those defining moments. Moments that lead to a greater victory then we could have achieved had we not gone through it. At times losing may be the best way to learn how to win.
I can think in my own life of a number of times where I felt a situation was awful, but looking back now I am thankful for it. Like the time I was let go from my job. What could have been terrible forced me to look for a new opportunity. I quickly found a new opportunity that happened to be available when I needed it the most. It took me back into the IT field which was a better fit for me.
The Bible tells us to "give thanks in all circumstances" in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Rather than agonize over not getting what we wanted, maybe be thankful that what is coming next might be just what we need.
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