All too many people become victims of their own circumstances. Instead of becoming a victim, we must strive to be a victor. The answer may be easier than we think.
There once was a young boy who was tragically injured in a horrible car wreck. His injuries were so severe that his left arm was amputated. The boy was devastated. He couldn’t ride his bike, he couldn’t play baseball. The boy became very depressed.
Living next door to the young boy was an old Japanese Judo master. He reached out to the boy and encouraged him to learn Judo. The boy reluctantly agreed. The Judo master taught the boy a single Judo move to practice. Every day, the young boy practiced the one move over and over and over. One day the boy asked the Judo master why he wasn’t learning more and different Judo moves. “This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” he replied.
After several months, the Judo master entered the young boy in a tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.
Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be over-matched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the Judo master intervened. “No,” he insisted, “Let him continue.”
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: He dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy, amazed at his success with only one move asked the Judo master how he could win the tournament with only move.
“You won for two reasons,” the Judo master said. “First, you have mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of Judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”
If you feel as if life isn’t fair and you’re on the short end of the stick, take inventory of your personal assets. Perhaps the answer to your problem lies within you.
When everything seems hopeless, when it seems impossible, take a moment to look at the word impossible and you will find the answer. The word impossible says to you im-possible. I’m possible! Yes, you can do it. Just don’t give up.
Remember, it is never too late to become the person you deserve to be.
