September 2, 1945 will forever be engraved in history as the day when formal surrender documents were signed aboard the USS Missouri by the Japanese.
Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, world uprisings and job loss seem to be the norm. As we reflect upon our past, we can find gratitude in the advancement of humanity, understanding that less than 100 years ago, the human race was on the brink of despair.
In recognition of how far we have come since this great moment in history, we as a people are reminded that it is difficulty, not ease that spurs humanity on to reach heights that we never thought were imaginable.
Where would we be if the great problems of our past had not been addressed and dealt with? A view back into history would reveal that the problems of today are small compared to the difficulties of yesterday.
How can we use our past to improve our condition going forward? How can we use the adversity that we are currently facing to make us, as a people, better and not worse?
We can begin to work on ourselves, learning new skills and becoming more valuable. We can decide to take responsibility for our current condition and for the fact that we could and should become better.
In acting toward fixing our own lives and then helping others to fix theirs, we have begun to initiate the process of positive advancement.
By repeatedly asking ourselves the question, "what is one thing that I can do from here to make this situation better?" and by following through with well-intended initiative, we can make a change for the good.
Bestselling author and self-help revolutionary Napoleon Hill once quoted, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit”.
How will we see to it that the difficulties of today will improve our predicament in the future? What can we do as individuals in the present moment, to honor the victims, soldiers, and heroes of past wars?
It is up to us to bring forth light in a time of darkness! Thinking against the grain, let us use difficulty as a spark that lights the flame of fellowship and prosperity.