Keeping Our Center ~ Day 85

Nelson Mandela once said that he wanted to be judged not by what he accomplished but by how many times he fell down and got up again. What a statement. He took the emphasis off of all the amazing things he accomplished and reminded us how important it is simply to keep going, to not give up on our dreams, to stay true to ourselves. Being on a spiritual path doesn’t mean that we never fall, it just means that we understand the falling to be part of the process of growing (even if we’d prefer to skip that part).

Think about how many times you’ve “fallen” and gotten up again. It starts literally when we are young and learning to walk, then there are bullies, broken friendships, betrayals, heartbreaks, job loss, failed grades, illnesses, accidents, mistakes, bad investments, rejection, loss, and on and on. Oy! It’s amazing that we spend any time standing at all!

I know that sometimes we get terribly bruised and weary from spending so much time on the ground. But I have the greatest respect for those who, time after time, get back up and try again. It always helps me to remember that even a talented author like JK Rowling was rejected 12 times before someone took on her Harry Potter stories; John Grisham’s first book was rejected by 27 publishers; and Stephen King’s first novel was rejected 30 times. Frankly, I’m not sure I could have kept going, but I am in awe of their tenacity and resilience.

Sometimes to keep going it helps to narrow our focus to the next step. Thinking about the 500 or so sermons I have to preach before I retire makes my head spin… but the next one, I can handle the next one.

So, if you’ve recently been spending some time on the ground, take a deep breath and concentrate on just one thing, one day, one step. And be proud of yourself. It’s life and you’re living it!

Love & Light,

Kaye