Meeting Life's Tough Moments
by Russell T. Williams
In the coming weeks, I will highlight some of the more popular Kids of Character articles from the book KIDS OF CHARACTER One Minute Mentoring Messages, Volume 1 (read more about it here in a new window).
Below is article 43 from the book. I hope you enjoy it.
Russell Williams, Founder
PASSKEYS FOUNDATION
Building A Nation Of Character
Author Harold S. Kushner wrote in his book, Why Bad Things Happen To Good People, "In the final analysis, the questions of why bad things happen to good people transmutes itself into some very different questions, no longer asking why something happened, but asking how we will respond, what we intend to do now that it has happened."
Having spent countless hours over twenty-five years counseling people through tough life moments, I have found encouragement and wisdom in Kushner's words. They speak to me about the heartbeat of character development: perseverance.
Essentially, Kushner's words offer guidance to the young and not-so-young. When faced with a mountain called discouragement, disappointment, disease and despair, What do I do now?
Reading the biographies of great people, we learn about successful life achievers. Helen Keller, Maya Angelou, Jackie Robinson were ones who faced difficult moments and learned to ask, What do I do now?
The power in asking this courageous question opens the door to creative decisions and actions. When we ask, What do I do now? we transform life's pain. We discover there are multiple responses. Sometimes we are forced to seek help. Another time we change a negative behavior like being critical of others. On another occasion, What do I do now? guides us to rethink a long-held attitude or belief. On countless occasions our gutsy willingness to ask this tough question leads us to discover new ways to confront a volatile emotion, like anger.
Clearly when we persevere asking, What do I do now? we are led to view a difficult event not as a roadblock but as a signal: Proceed with caution and care. Surely, teachers, coaches, parents grandparents can be significant helpers for kids to make sure they see the perseverance signpost in the difficult times. They can help kids learn to disarm experiences of failure, loss or poor choices by providing the positive encouragement to ask, What do I do now?
Author, Robert H. Schuller, wrote a great book a few years ago titled, Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do. He's right. Tough people do triumph with perseverance.
