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Making the best of a bad situation
3P Learning...................................... 4, 40
by Riney Jordan
hcde-texas.org
on’t you just love and admire those people in the world who always seem to make the best of a bad situation?
I love their positive spin on things. I love their determination to beat the odds. I love their amazing attitudes. It doesn’t take a whole lot for a person to reflect to others that they have an upbeat persona. It only takes a big smile that says, “Hey, this isn’t going to be easy, but I’m not going to let it get the best of me.”
His solution was not to work harder than ever to put his life back together, but instead, to lie back and accept this way of life as permanent. He lacked those qualities that can change everything — courage, commitment, persistence and determination. Now, compare his story to this one …
Like you, I’ve heard amazing stories about individuals who didn’t let their problems become obstacles in their lives.
A young, single mother we know was recently diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. She was working two jobs at the time to provide for her little girl. News of her illness could not have come at a worse time in her life.
I read once that there is something inside most of us that can give us courage that we never even knew that we had, so we can face any “giant” who gets in our path.
Doctors immediately made arrangements to send her to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Her family encouraged her and supported her every step of the way.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit with a young man who had graduated from high school only a couple of years ago. I asked him about his future plans, and I listened with absolute amazement and wonderment as he answered.
For months, the trips to Houston were frequent. Motel bills, gasoline and food bills took a big toll on the family’s modest income.
“I’ve realized that it’s better not to work too much,” he said. “If I keep my income low, I am eligible for food stamps, government assistance and other benefits. I’ve thought a lot about it, and there’s no reason I should work anymore in life than is absolutely necessary.” It’s true that he was living in a disgusting apartment. His car was a wreck. He was overweight, and he had two young kids to support. His wife had left him, and his life looked pretty bleak. Instead of working to improve his situation, it appeared to me that he had given up. He’s 22 years old, in amazingly good health, and when he was in school, he was one of the brightest kids in his class. I had known him for years and had previously pictured him making a huge, positive difference in the world!
“She’s determined to make the best of this,” her father told me. “She’s a fighter.” A few weeks ago, he told me that one of her legs had to be amputated above the knee. He said that when they heard the news, “We were all discouraged and beaten.” Her reaction, however, was just the opposite. “Don’t worry,” she said “I’m going to be fine. You know, in our little town of Crawford, our high school mascot is a pirate, and I’ve been thinking. I’ll have a wooden peg leg made and I’ll be the school district’s official mascot!” I don’t know about you, but I wept tears of joy when I heard that from her father. What courage! What strength! What an amazing reaction! Yes, overcoming adversity is not easy. But encouraging our students to make the best of a bad situation is one of life’s greatest lessons. Let’s hope, for our future’s sake, that they learn it.
RINEY JORDAN is the author of two books and a frequent public speaker. To invite him to speak at your
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Texas School Business JULY / AUGUST 2019
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