This quote popped up in my personal Facebook memories this morning and I think it’s a lovely one.
It’s so easy to look at someone strong, powerful, successful, or brave, and think that they are invincible. Sometimes that comes with the idea that we can’t possibly reach those heights because of our flaws, but that’s not true. Heroes are heroes not because of their perfection, but because of what they do even with their imperfections. Like the idea of courage being acting in the face of fear and not the absence of fear, we appreciate the ability to do something or be someone because of what they’ve had to overcome. The struggle is the story, and that’s why we talk about who someone is after they’ve been through it. We know you are unstoppable because you stumbled and fell, got up and kept going. Until you did, we can only know that you’re moving. You have to face a stop before being able to tell and show that you can’t be stopped.
I don’t know about you, but that’s inspiring to me. It means that any of the obstacles in my path aren’t the final word on where I can end up. Whether I’m looking to be a hero or not, running up against something difficult or even not managing to succeed with something on my first, third, or tenth, umpteenth try isn’t the end of the story. It’s only the middle, and it doesn’t preordain or even predict the end. Pretty cool, right?
So this weekend, take a hard look at a recent failure or doubt. Then take that first step to moving through it. I will be too, and since I know that we can, so I’ll meet you on the other side.
