Julio’s World

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races, one after another.”
-Walter Elliott

This past week I had the privilege to address some young professionals who are pursuing success in their lives. I reminded them that one of the keys to any success, regardless of your endeavor, is to be faithful in your current situation, job or assignment no matter the adversity you may be going through.

I don’t think I know anyone who is not facing some type of challenge or adversity in their life at this very moment. After you have lived at least 40 years you figure out that life is always going to be full of ups and downs. Joy and tears. Summers and winters. And it really isn’t life that causes our problems; it is the way we respond to life that causes them.
 
Today, I want to remind you to stay faithful, be grateful and persevere in your current situation. One of the lessons I’ve learned is that much of today’s depression, anxiety, anger and violence is the result of many people not having been taught how to deal with adversities in their youth. Many times young people are too sheltered and have not been taught what is required to work through their adversities and the challenges that confront them. Remember the first sentence in Scott Pecks’ book, The Road Less Traveled:  “Life is difficult.” This is a great truth. Life is really a series of problems. Do we want to complain about them or solve them? Do we teach our children to solve them or have them run from them? Problems definitely have an upside so let me remind you of a few of them. Problems call forth our courage and wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. It is only through the pain of confronting and resolving problems that we really learn.
 
It was the great Ben Franklin who said, “Those things that hurt, instruct.” I believe it is for this reason that wise people learn not to run from or dread problems. Instead they welcome the problem and confront it in the right perspective. Here are four good tips a friend gave me a long time ago when dealing with problems:

1. Count your blessings one at a time and be grateful for all things.

2. Create a place in your home…at work…in your heart, where you can go for quiet and reflection time. You deserve it, and it will recalibrate your perspective.

3. Take nothing for granted in life. Watch water flow, the flowers grow, the leaves blow and your neighbor mow.

4. Slow down. God is still in heaven. You are not responsible for doing it all by yourself.