Fortitude

A person will only do to you what you allow them to do to you.

I have written about this numerous times. It is a lesson we all must continually learn and re-learn ~ at least in my case. Maybe we are too trusting or 'too nice,' although I don't think that's possible. In attempting to create a happy atmosphere for all, we usually lose sight of what makes us happy and THAT is not OK. When we allow someone else to rob us of our joys, we have disappointed ourself. That is the worst kind of disappointment.

MLK, Jr. once said, "Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." I do not allow 'hate' into my array of emotions. There does come a point, however, where one must realize that you cannot fix what ails everyone and you must simply 'point your shoes in another direction'. (A great quote by my grandpa and mother!)

And finally, Ernest Hemingway drives the point home. "The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed."

And so . . . my query is such that how does one give tirelessly of ones self, for the betterment of their little corner of the world, catering to the whims and needs of others to lift them up, without sacrificing their own needs?

The answer is fortitude!

Defined as: mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger or temptation courageously.

Put to use, one can plow one's way through the trials, the troubles, the tribulations of things that are out of their control, to continue their passion and their purpose and to not allow any other soul to steal what drives them.

Today, I wish you fortitude!