One of life’s snafus presented itself for me to deal with yesterday.  At snafu times, it is so easy to feel sorry for ourselves. We can consume the whole day in our anguish…or we can make the choice to appreciate the contrast and choose to see the Divine in each person.

 What good is worry?  Worry is a waste of our creative process. By the natural laws of the universe, worry simply attracts more negative into our lives.  Today’s daily message from Abraham-Hicks puts it this way:

“Whatever you’re thinking about is literally like planning a future event. When you’re worrying, you are planning. When you’re appreciating you are planning…What are you planning?

                                                                              — Abraham”

What does adversity do for us? It stimulates us to reach higher, to break out of the chains that confine us.

Just about the time I want to feel sorry for myself, I simply need to remind myself what others have been through. Take Dick and Rick Hoyt for example.

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon, they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.

It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you consider that Rick can’t walk or talk.

For the past twenty five years or more, Dick, who is 65, has pushed and pulled his son across the country and over hundreds of finish lines. When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing. When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat-pod from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike. When Dick swims, Rick is in a small but heavy, firmly stabilized boat being pulled by Dick. And yes, Rick lives in his own apartment, miles away from his father.

And then there is Erik Weihenmayer. Erick lost his eyesight and his beloved mother as a young teenager. Erik is also the only blind man in history to reach the tallest peak of every continent, including Mount Everest. The message on the back of Erik’s book, The Adversity Advantage, is poignant:

“Adversity is one of the most potent forces in life. It shapes your character, clarifies your priorities, and defines your path. It can also fuel your greatness. Each of us faces a rich assortment of adversities every day, ranging from minor hassles to major setbacks and challenges, even tragedies. The path to success, both in business and in life, is learning how to convert any adversity, major or minor, into a genuine advantage.”

 Then there is Nick Vujicic, the 23 year old man with no arms or legs who spends his life traveling to audiences everywhere, delivering the message to dream, to have vision, to set goals, to be thankful. As a young boy, he looked in the mirror, deep into his eyes. He told himself, “Look at your eyes. You have beautiful eyes, young man. You are hot!” Google You Tube and listen to his message. He asks us, “Do you get the message? Can you find one positive thing about your life? Then hang onto it!”

 Lastly, here is this morning’s message from tut.com:

 “Look at it like this, Rosie, the more challenging your life story has been so far, the bigger the goose bumps for future generations who retell it to their kids. Who will no doubt add, ‘And if Rosie Brown was able to do all that, so can you!’

We’ve barely just begun -
    The Universe”

Guess my snafu is not so significant after all.