When I was around 9 years old, it seems time was moving slow. Where there was nothing to do… I end up sitting in the sofa and thinking how boring it was. Time just seems still. When I was enjoying some activities with my friends, it seems that there was never enough time.
To kill my boredom, I usually would invent something or start to look for something around the house to do. Most of the time there were innocent kids stuff. But, there had been time were I ended up doing mischievous things that put me back to sit on the sofa for a few more hours.
I remember one time, when things were not going well for my parents. My dad own a small business. It was long hours of work and profit was never guaranteed.
He always told me that he had to work since he was 14. He never finished school. He was always poor. He woke up at 4 in the morning to make bread so he can sell them for breakfast around 6 in the morning on the street. He stayed up late to clean and prepare. He was so tired… he would fall asleep while taking a shower.
Hi father, my grandfather, was tough on him. My dad never really had a childhood. He never got to sit around bored (like me) doing nothing. And he never got to do fun stuff with his friends.
As long he can remember, it was work and work.
Eventually, he saved up some money and opened a small business. The business wasn’t doing well. You name it, there was misfortune, calamity and distress.
I learned a great deal of things from my dad. One of those things that he said a lot was… if I lose today, I can win it tomorrow and more.
For him, in time of adversity, it was normal. He grew up with it. He didn’t get to do anything fun. His life was like a slave. All the odds were against him. He was to remain poor.
Needless to say, my dad never gave up. Even during those difficult time, he shaved a small part of it out. Slowly and with a lot of resilience and will, he carved the difficulty into nothing.
I have to thank him. His willingness and dedication allowed me to be bored during my weekends.
Up to now, my dad didn’t have a smooth ride. But, for every wrench he was thrown at, he was able to pick himself up and continue.
What I’m saying that it’s not easy. Any adversity will be troublesome… but with effort, they can be carved out and maybe even eliminated.
The first time will be very difficult to tackle down. The next ones might not be any easier, but with some experience under your belt, it won’t be as overwhelming as they seemed at first.
Keep at it. Look for solutions. Look for another way. Just keep trying. Every chipping you do, means one step towards completion.