The Power of Adversity

I’m taking a little “Nana” moment to celebrate my grandson’s winning 1st Place in his Original Oratory Speech at the NCFCA National Championships this weekend. Out of 1000s of students from 45 states, competing in 65 preliminary tournaments, 500 students made it to Nationals. Payton's win is truly a tribute to his diligence, hard work, and relentless attitude. The win comes with scholarships offered and afforded him the opportunity to deliver the speech after the competition to over 1,500 people. I was blessed to be able to watch it LIVE, thanks to technology! I am always a proud Nana of my grandchildren, and this just added another notch on my “pride and joy” belt. Beyond the pride, however, was the speech he gave that truly described his own story of overcoming adversity and helping others to realize that adversity can be a friend to those who recognize God’s way of building our character and our ability to overcome and come out as a conqueror.

“The Power of Adversity” was the topic of this speech. In it, Payton talked about the tension and adversity that we encounter and the more we experience, the better the trajectory of the potential of success in our future. He used the analogy of his Toys R Us bow and suction-cup arrow, as a child, which did well to kill his “refrigerator bad guy”, but it paled in comparison to the real bow and arrow that his dad bought him, set the tension to Payton’s ability and he soon learned this arrow could fly three times further because of that tension.

He went on to point out world changers and history makers like Thomas Edison whose teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything. And, Abraham Lincoln who failed in business, marriage, politics and suffered the loss of his two sons before becoming the President of the United States. Every adversity these leaders experienced increased their patience, their knowledge and their ability to create history. Payton quoted Walt Disney “All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

Payton went into his own story of adversity. In the same year: his Papa died from cancer, his dog died, and he was being bullied at school. He said, as he pointed out his thin body, “I’m not the most athletic kid but I sure wanted to play football and fit in with the other guys.” Instead of helping him, they bullied him and the abuse only got worse and the verbal hatred got louder. The words spoken over him replayed like a broken record in his mind – “too skinny, you’ll never amount to anything, you’ll never be good at anything”. With many hilarious, self-deprecating moments throughout his speech, his message was clear: "When adversity comes, like the storm that came up while Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat, let it be that storm that takes you to the other side”.

Payton’s speech resonated with me too. We all have defining moments that either make or break us. Whatever those moments are, God will use them for our good. Our destiny and purpose are wrapped up in each and every adversity that comes our way. It's that "stuff" that causes the aha moments -- those moments that seemed like the worst of worst times but were actually the turbo boost to propel us to where we were meant to be. The times of adversity either make us stronger and cause us to have the "warrior mentality" or we succumb to the pressure and throw in the towel and have the "pull-the-blanket-over-the-head mentality". One makes us stronger and leads to success and the other causes us to quit and leads to failure stories. They're either stories that said "I pushed through to victory" or "I gave up and quit. IF ONLY....I had persisted." From Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Edison to Payton Wallace, great leaders and achievers push themselves beyond the point of failure and take a step back to re-evaluate why they started the journey in the first place. Even when their body or mind told them to quit, they dug deep and pushed through the adversity.

My parting paragraph is Payton’s final words from his speech. I pray these words to speak to your heart:

“I don’t know what you’re going through today. Maybe you’re facing financial adversity, a broken relationship, or even if you’re just like me….you look in the mirror and you feel inferior and worthless. Jesus is in the back of the boat with you. He has a way of using every adversity and every difficulty to propel you to the other side of your breakthrough. Now, personally, I’ve grown to fight greater enemies than my refrigerator and I know that God uses every adversity in my life to prepare me and propel me to become a leader worth following. The same is true for each and every one of you. Adversity is not your enemy. Tension is not your foe. Instead, embrace it. Peace isn’t the absence of adversity. Peace is the confidence in knowing that all things – even the seemingly worst things -- work together for good when you put your faith and trust in God.”

Navigating the Journey is Worth it!

As strategic as you can be on a trip through the mazes, long walking stretches between one ride or experience to the next, being in your spot for the parade and fireworks and the shows as well as determining Fast Pass versus Stand By can be almost mind-boggling. Believe me, showing up with no plan is most certainly not the best use of your time and money – at Disney World..... or in life. Planning goes a long way in the grand scheme of things. Our family has always been planners. It started with the Grand Poobah -- my husband, who was the detailed planner who made sure we were at Point A and B at the precise time needed. Yesterday, in spite of the accuracy of our day, we still had to veer off the Game Plan in order to adjust for some unexpected delays. Isn’t that part of life – being flexible and willing to make the adjustments? Time management is so essential as we plot our daily courses in life, and the older I get, the more I realize, managing my time is critical when it comes to finishing what I start, making good lists so that I can check off those “must do’s”. Larry and Staci went over the “must do’s” with Payton and Alexia before the day started and, combined with Fast Passes and plotting the course of the day, made for completing all our goals for the day.

It takes a lot of “Golden Rule” applications while you’re navigating around little people, strollers, wheel chairs, and motorized skooters at Disney World. Good thing we didn’t have to have a crash course in exercising kindnesses to others because we just happen to believe that’s what our walk of faith and being a bearer of Light is all about. Case in point, while riding the monorail back at the end of the day and seeing my sweet son, Larry, as tired as he was, to give up his seat for others time and again. He is a great example of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!”

For myself, amidst the sweetness of all the Disney characters singing “You are special. Just be yourself. You don’t have to be like anyone else!” as well as the twinkling eyes of the adults arrayed in their Mickey & Minnie Mouse shirts, pants or hats (us included), young children, dressed in the look-alike clothes, who are in awe that they are seeing, in real life, their beloved Disney characters, my awe and wonder comes from one of Walt Disney’s most famous quotes, “Let us not lose sight of one thing: that it was all started by a mouse.”

On a train ride home to tell his brother Roy that they had just lost everything they had, Walt drew a little mouse. Walt did the things that everyone else said was impossible. He was never afraid to chase his dreams. The mouse he drew on a train ride became the face of many TV shows as well as a theme park, named after Walt himself: Disneyland. Now there are many theme parks across the world in addition to many other movies and products. Walt Disney World serves as proof that nothing is impossible and that you should never be afraid to chase your dreams!

Imagine that….an unrelenting dreamer and believer in not quitting, but to continue to make those dreams a reality. Of course we needed photos of these famous quotes that cause us to continue to NEVER stop dreaming and believing. Stay tuned for even more inspiration as tomorrow's journey takes us to Epcot!

At the End of Your Rope -- Hold On!

Feel like you've failed at something one too many times.....and you're ready to throw in the towel? Feel like you've prayed too many times....and the answer just has not come? Feel like you're at the end of your rope.....and there's no where else, or no one else, to go to? And, you've even spoken the words, "I'm DONE!"

This is not the time for giving up -- it's time for holding on.
This is not the time for looking back -- it's time for being strong.

Some of the greatest GREATS failed, went bankrupt, made many mistakes, but never gave up -- today they are world renown because they never quit: Henry Ford, R. H. Macy, Soichiro Honda, Bill Gates, Colonel Sanders, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, Lucille Ball, Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Schultz, Steven Spielberg, Monet, Elvis Presley, Ludwig van Beethoven, Michael Jordan. All these names are synonymous with accomplishments and achievements -- honored, respected and commended. Maybe we won't be in the world's archives of fame and notoriety, but we will be to those eyes that are in our sphere of influence, if we don't give up.

So today, I'm just reminding us all to dig our heels in, put a stake in the ground and say "I will NEVER give up!" Yes, it may seem like each day holds insurmountable challenges, but still, our Creator said He would never leave us or forsake us. I'd say that's quite the PARTNER, so let's take His SUPER abilities and meld them to our NATURAL abilities.....and let's go after it another time. His SUPERNATURAL is on its way! He will make a way where there seems to be no way. He will provide another rope if we're to the end of that one. He will SHOW UP if we don't BLOW UP!! He'll even catch us if that rope breaks and He'll set us on a new course with a new rope with an AMAZING comeback!