“Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.”
― Roy T. Bennett, Author
We have all had seasons in our lives when we struggled to prevail against dark times. Perhaps a long illness, or deep grief. Disturbing circumstances in our personal lives. Or a disruption in our community—natural disaster, war, political unrest, or a global pandemic. There are no quick solutions to these ordeals. Grit is needed–resolving that we will not give up, we will persist. We have all heard the saying, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wisely said, “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” After thousands of attempts, Thomas Edison finally made a successful lightbulb. He explained that “many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” One final exhortation–Winston Churchill humorously said–“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
Locally, we have been greatly affected by Hurricane Helene. We were shocked and overwhelmed by the destruction and what needed to be done to recover. We can draw inspiration from the determination and kindness of Jake Jarvis, Precision Grading. He has worked non-stop since the hurricane with huge construction vehicles, helping rebuild Western Carolina for free, despite the enormity of the remaining tasks. I am grateful for the monumental accomplishments of Ashbritt contractors who cleaned tons of debris and silt out of Lake Lure, one truckload at a time. But now, see how far we have come! We can let that fuel our dedication to the many remaining steps to recovery. Regardless of what we face today, we can draw on wisdom and grit gained from conquering past hardships. Ask “what strengths did we use then that can help us now? We can remind ourselves, “we are stronger than we think!”
I have also seen the grit and determination of football as a metaphor for life. When living in Charlotte, we attended many Carolina Panthers games. One of their best sayings was “Keep Pounding!” A recent role model is quarterback Sam Darnold. He had been labeled “a bust” with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. He struggled with turnovers and inconsistency, but, through resilience and perseverance, he overcame adversity and turned things around. He resurrected his career with the Seattle Seahawks and won the Super Bowl.
The human spirit is remarkable in its ability to generate hope, to fuel persistence, and to energize long-term perseverance. We are best renewed in community, frequently and mutually encouraging each other. “Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings” (Elie Wiesel, WW II concentration camp survivor).Dale Carnegie wrote, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Professor Howard Zinn wrote that “to be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. Human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness…. If we remember those times and places — where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.”
Nelson Mandela’s battle against apartheid took years. He said, “I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.” Mandela also said, “It always seems impossible, until it is done.”
Regardless of how small a step forward we each take, when added to the other small steps of like-minded others, our positive actions create momentum. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, it will increase in size and speed. Margaret Mead wrote that we should “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
