(Continued from the previous post...)
On and on he went with only one thought in his mind: the safety of the child. Nothing else mattered, not fear, weariness, hunger. On and on he ran 'til in the distance he could see his friends still moving quickly. He was so close, only a little further to go to reach them.Before long, he caught them, stumbling into their midst with the precious baby, gasping for breath. The others were amazed at this feat and wondered where he had found the strength to run with the child and catch them. But they could see his face was filled with a resoluteness and determination they hadn't seen before.
Gently, he handed the child to the mother who took back the little body lovingly. Her heart was filled with joy, both for her child and for the old man. Together they continued onward, away from the enemy until they were safe and secure.
In this story, the old man found that he created two different paths based on two different choices.
"I can't" made him fall by the wayside convinced that his life was at an end, and so it would have been.
"I can" enabled him to get up, find strength available within himself, and run to victory.
Both were real and valid possibilities. What made the difference between these two choices? We might say this woman did what a good teacher does. She gave the man an opportunity to discover and demonstrate the strength he had inside. Then the old man did his part. He used his will to conquer his weakness and defeatism. He did find the strength within to carry out his mission. He chose how to respond to the opportunity, and used his will to choose victory over defeat.
Although this story shows how a particular situation can be an opportunity to overcome limitation, true and lasting change requires effort that goes beyond just one situation. One victory doesn't solve every problem. To create lasting change, one victory must lead to new ways of thinking and acting.
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