How strength grows out of our weakness….

 

Hey folks!, Seasons greetings & Happy new year to all.

Its been a very memorable 2010 – grateful for a lot of things & people and the dawn of 2011 has been with lot of promise and optimism. I loved these lines which were sent to me,

“Two places are most valuable in the World :
The Nicest place is to be in someone's THOUGHTS and
The Safest place is to be in someone's PRAYERS.
Life has no pause buttons
Dreams have no expiry date
Time has no holiday
So don’t waste a single moment in your life.”

I liked the small story listed here which not only highlighted that we can turn our weakness to strength but more importantly the role of a guru / master / teacher who can help us do that.

This is a story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move. "Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"

"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the Sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the Sensei took the boy to his first 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 overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the Sensei intervened. "No," the Sensei 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 and Sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"

"You won for two reasons," the Sensei answered. "First, you've almost 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."

The boy's greatest weakness had become his greatest strength.

Unlike the physically challenged individual who is the subject of the story, most of our weaknesses are subtle, emotional and deeply rooted in our habits and dispositions. Most of us are fortunate to have friends, relatives and colleagues who open our eyes to such weaknesses and give us the room and time to turn our weakness to strength or lest neutralize it.

As long as we consciously yearn to improve ourselves and be receptive to the suggestions from the people around us, i am sure it would not be long before we realize it first hand that “Our strength can also grow out of our weakness”.

May all good things grow by leaps and bounds.

 

Happy reading!