Overcoming an impossible fate

 

There are so many stories about people who have overcome things nobody thought they could. Poverty, terminal illness and all those situations that seem to be obstacles preventing us from going any further.

I myself have overcome a situation that, in so many ways, looked like a maze with no way out. And I feel I am a hero, just like those other people.

Let me tell you a secret: I am sure you, too, have overcome an awful fate at some point in your life. You are also a hero!

And that means four things.

1. Overcoming is part of human nature. Ever since we were babies, we have been learning, improving and overcoming countless barriers. The challenge to experience overcoming obstacles is to unlearn all those unnatural things we have picked up along the way; the beliefs and ideas about our own limitations that we have absorbed and come to accept as truth.
2. Impossible doesn't mean the same as implausible. For instance, turning a horrible piece of broccoli into a beautiful cauliflower is implausible, but turning broccoli into something edible is possible! It may require a lot of hard work, plenty of creativity and an excellent positive attitude, but you can do it.
3. Is fate really predetermined? Maybe it is, but we don't know. The best way to deal with a very difficult situation is to believe that it is possible to overcome it. In fact, many times we have changed our own destiny without even realizing it, simply by meeting someone, taking an unexpected trip or accepting a position in a particular company. So, let go of your limitations and do your best!
4. Sometimes, you may not be able to overcome a situation. Yes, there are things you simply cannot win against, perhaps because of a lack of resources, knowledge, willpower or for any number of other reasons. And that's OK. You can still learn from the experience, and that learning becomes a piece of success in itself. I remember going through a long stretch without work. I had to face that situation, but I learned so much that I even started a new career.

So, the next time you look back at your life, don't just remember the things that went wrong. Look at all the things you managed to overcome, too. You may discover that you have been a hero far more often than you think!

Overcoming the effect situations of high-impact

Two scenes come to my mind. The first one was when I was still a child and I broke my arm while practicing judo; my master at the time did not handle the situation well and I was not treated as I should have been. When I finally went to a doctor, many days later, I was told that it was too late and that I would forever have trouble doing certain movements.

Another scene was in my late teens; I was just coming to Brahma Kumaris, this wonderful spiritual path that I have been following for almost 40 years. A teacher was giving a class and she was a psychologist, so she shared a concept unknown to me until that point, related to the impact of situations with a high emotional impact. I experienced such clarity that many of my problems up to that moment (and in the future as well) started to make sense and it became easier for me to find solutions.

I mention these two scenes because they exemplify a lot of what a trauma is: the encounter of a person with a high-impact situation. There are several examples:

• Physical, as in the case of my arm.
• When you lose the job on which you depend so much, a financial trauma.
• Relational, in the case of the death of someone or the dissolution of a family.
• Emotional, which can come from an experience of abandonment.

However, the question here is how to overcome these high impact situations as they cannot be avoided (most of the time). But there is nothing that really prevents us from handling their effect.

From my previous narrative, I would suggest two things:

The first thing to consider is to get help from someone who can really cooperate in the work of relief and healing.

Second, reflect and understand the effect of this on life, particularly habits that can emerge and affect life negatively.

By doing this, you can initially alleviate the impact of the situation, process what happened and, consequently, begin a healing path, transforming the trauma into a learning experience.

The ugly duckling

At my worst moments during childhood, this story warmed my heart: the ugly duckling that was in fact a beautiful swan.

I have seen that in my life and many others’: from being bad or not so intelligent, people have turned wonderful people. My question is: How?

A few years in Colombia, I’ve met my publisher who convinced me to write a book. I decided to write on self-leadership and it turned to be a way for me to understand my own process from being an ugly duckling to a swan.

The story is really about overcoming limitations and becoming what your dreams are showing. It was for me an inspiration and I am sure it can be for you too.

I suggest you to consider yourself an ugly duckling and think about those limitations or weaknesses that are preventing you to become that wonderful swan. Don’t think too much of them…

Now, see yourself as that wonderful swan: you have overcome all those things and you are now whole… Think of that the time you want.