There is a story about a boy who goes downstairs on Christmas morning to find a tremendous pile of horse manure by the tree. Gleefully, he begins crawling through the smelly mess. His brother questions him, and he responds, “With this much poop, there has to be a pony in here somewhere!”
We all have our pile of manure. The question is: How are we reacting?
The struggles in our life are fertilizer for personal growth and success—if we allow them and see them as such. If we see the opportunity. It is all a matter of attitude—i.e., gratitude.
As we go through life, stuff is going to happen. My favorite quote from Forrest Gump is not: “Life is like a box of chocolates.” It is: “It happens.” (If unfamiliar with the movie—really? You haven’t seen the movie?—this is when Gump wipes his face it a t-shirt and the smiley face craze is born.) Forrest Gump really is a movie about finding the pony in the big steaming piles of “it”. In reality, however, one does not have to be intellectually challenged to find the good in all circumstances. One must, perhaps, ignore some of our natural tendencies to overthink problems.
When challenges and problems arise or plans seemingly go awry, we must take our first step of identifying the opportunity. Ask: “What is the good that is to come of this?” Undoubtedly, there is some good—unless you don’t believe it, and, as such, you will never find it.
We have choices at every turn in our lives. Few, if any will find a straight and easy path in life. (And such people, I would say, have missed out on a plethora of opportunity to be so much more.) Our options are often “fight, flight, or freeze”. In my experience, “fight” is always the right choice. Now, I don’t me “fight” in the literal sense. To “fight” is to embrace the opportunity—to let the circumstances of life grow and to shape us. Our fight should not be reactive. Rather it should be reflective, introspective, and wrought with gratitude. In other words, “find the pony”!
If we are fortunate, the pony is right before us. Sometimes (perhaps, most times) it will take a while to “find the pony” amid the manure that piles up. The stink can be somewhat overwhelming. (I am not minimizing the amount of “it” that some people have had to endure or are enduring in their lives.) Whatever our circumstances, we have choices in what we do with them. Some might get mad at the pony, however, and miss the ride. I hope not.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!