Your sensations are overwhelmed; you are totally and completely defeated — you feel adrift: now what to do? All of us can identify with this. An event has just occurred that will change the course of your life. You must “deal with it” and, at the same time, make the right choices! I always look to history for guidance. As the summer approaches, I am pulled back to that momentous event in Western history: World War Two. It was an unfortunate war for the British Empire. Having overspent on the building of grandiose and expensive infrastructure projects and a crippling war, (1) she was ill prepared for more conflict, and thus more cost. But, in September 1939, war began once again and by the summer of 1940, defeat following defeat, she was “on her knees.” Nothing could get worse! Britain, traditionally, has always believed in the Navy as its bulwark against all calamities.
When Churchill gave his famous speech, “We will fight on the beaches” (2) he cited the British navy:
“Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail.
We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.
We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving,
then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”
Subsequently, the empire did fight on. Every society has its iconic symbols. To the British Navy and thus to the British populace, this was the battle cruiser, HMS Hood. She was immense and one of the largest vessels on Earth: she exuded power. On May 24th 1941, she was totally destroyed by the German battleship Bismarck, (3) sinking within minutes and killing 1418 of her crew: there were only three survivors. British morale collapsed. Yet, from this event, the country went on to build a coalition with the United States at the end of the year and ultimately win the war, though losing the peace. Please refer to The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire by Peter Clarke (ISBN 978-1-5969-1742-2) for an interesting, albeit somewhat harsh, view of Churchill’s actions.
It is the same with all of us, or rather those of us that seek to live successful lives, we use experiences to frame our existence and mature us. I have a young student who, after years of effort, has just been admitted to a prestigious European liberal arts university. Two weeks ago, on Thursday, I received the aforementioned Line message. I was thrilled, to say the least. This past Sunday, however, just a brief week ago, she sent me the following devastating message: “My father won’t pay for a liberal arts education in Europe. He will only fund a business administration degree in Taiwan. What should I do?” I was aghast, to say the least. I hate giving advice for it is just that “my advice.” I gave it nonetheless. “As I see it, you have three choices: You can do nothing, not go to school and just hide in your room (The action of inaction). You can accept your father’s decision (The action of acquiescence). The last choice is to quit school, make and save your own money, and pay for the school yourself (The action of pro-action).” Now, to be fair all actions have consequences. I have been faced with a similar dilemma at a tender age: I chose the latter option. The result was an interesting life, not all good and yet not all bad, and, in the end, a blessing: my life in Taiwan. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), the power behind her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), leaves us with a thought: In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.
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A closing thought: My young student eventually ended up going to school in Europe. This lends credence to the belief that, in the end, it all works out. The central point to life is to keep the faith: the faith in yourself, the faith in the inherent goodness of man and the faith in your Creator, whatever that means to you.
To sum up: This week, we spoke about overcoming adversity. We gave some examples: both historical and contemporary. We ended on a positive note: the belief that it all works out in the end if you believe in yourself.
An amusing occurrence: I try to remember that age is never a barrier to success. After I finished high school, I spent a year working in a television and stereo store. I was a natural-borne salesman and soon became quite good, or so I thought, at “reading people.” One day, we delivered this expensive television set (no I don’t mean screen) to this affluent home. We duly installed it in the family room, got the check and were in the process of leaving when one of the young men stopped us and asked if we had received the funds. “Thank you,” I piped up. “Your mother has just given us the money.” “That wasn’t my mother!” came the reply. “That was my wife.”
Just for fun: Luciano Pavarotti The Greatest Hits
This week, please ponder how you build your inner strength.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: No superficial circumstance can ever defeat your resolve to complete your mission, your life meaning. Those who are “broken” have only done it to themselves. Perceptually, there is nothing external to the self.
Footnotes:
1) I am referring to the building of New Delhi, the creation of Singapore’s dry-dock system and World War One, among many examples of fiscal overreach.