Should You Ever Give Up?

Photograph of funnel cloud that became a tornado in Manitoba  --- photographer unknown as this was sent in an email.

I was listening to some people talking in the shopping mall.  They were talking about a friend who had suffered some extreme bad luck.  They marvelled at the friend's ability to see the brightness in every disaster - even when part of their farm was ripped up by a tornado.  One of the group remarked, "If it was me, I would have given up and moved years ago!"

I was thinking about the way some of us look at challenges and see either a character building opportunity or  a chance to admit defeat and walk away.  Then, those that walk away later will use this incident as an excuse for not succeeding in other areas of their life.  I wondered what the lesson was really about.  I asked Great Spirit to give me some guidance around my question and the greater question of challenges that can change our lives. 

I understand that the challenges help us consolidate our faith. Or it helps us disavow our faith.  I understand too, that if I feel "Oneness with all" then the challenge ceases to be a challenge because it just is and I do not take it personally.  As a Shaman practitioner, I see that a problem, challenge, or issue is always like the two sided sword - it can cut the opponent and save us, or, if we are not careful in our handling of the sword, it will cut us and wound us, perhaps severely.

I was mulling these thought over when I glanced through the Oprah Inspiration Thought for the day.  It made me laugh!   Indeed, it seemed like Great Spirit's guidance around my question.  Here is the quote.

"Never give up, which is the lesson I learned from boxing. As soon as you learn to never give up, you have to learn the power and wisdom of unconditional surrender, and that one doesn't cancel out the other; they just exist as contradictions."  —Kris Kristofferson

I wish you the will to never surrender!

Judith