Beating The Odds

Roberta shares a {My World Picture}

When we beat the odds that we face, it changes us. It frees us from our self imposed cage of fear

David was a big boy with sandy red hair, lots of freckles, and a mean disposition. What he said wasn’t questioned, even among the bigger boys. Up beside him I felt very small and timid. I hated the fact that my younger brother and I, rode the same big yellow school bus that he did.
I was one of the smallest and youngest girls on the bus, and I dreaded that ride each morning. Even though I tried to make my self invisible, David usually managed to find the seat behind me and make me his target. All the way to school, he tantalized while I fought girl tears that I was much to proud to give in to. I never once thought about defending myself against such odds. I saw myself as a skinny little kid who was no match for my problem.
Then one morning when I got on the bus something had changed. It wasn’t the situation. It was the same. I had changed. What happened made a huge impact on the way I view problems today.

When you beat the odds that are stacked against you, it changes you. It frees you from your small, self imposed cage of doubt. It gives you the courage to face difficulties or pain without being overcome by fear. We began to realize that we have strengths and capabilities that are amazing. What odds are stacked against you? Find your best defense against obstacles and learn to use it.
Identify your problem. Then analyze the situation. Break it down and study it. Confront it. I see people every day who quit before they even get started.
Deteriorating marriage, health problems, lack of confidence, low self esteem, a daily conflict of personalities in a close space?
Identify the core. Would you feel better about yourself if you looked in the mirror one morning and weighed a lot less? There are a lot of options that make it possible for you to do that, and you can do it!
The chances of having a heart attack or stoke greatly decrease by quitting nicotine and stop eating foods full of fat and sugar.
Is yours a relationship problem? Start talking. I have personally seen family situations change at the very first effort, when people opened up to each other. Body language is tiring and frustrating. Trying to interpret it, is like trying to learn a new language. Just open your mouth and express yourself in a calm, determined manner. Sulking, pouting, resentment for a real or imagined grievance, is a very complicated form of communication that dries up the channels of solution. Tell your contender what you are feeling, and do it in a non aggressive way. The last thing you want to do, is put someone who is important to you, on the defense.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Learn to tell the difference between important and trivial, what is lasting and what is temporal. Don’t waste your time worrying about failing to get the laundry done on Monday, do it on Tuesday if you have to. Focus on matters that will have a lasting impact on your life today and in the future. Do your part in staying healthy and maintaining good relationships.
Be positive in a reasonable kind of way. It is amazing what we can do, when we make up our minds to do it.
Learn the power of prayer and faith in God. It is an awesome force that is available to all believers.
Adversity is a part of life, that no one is excluded from. Difficulties are proving grounds. They are not fun, but if we allow God to walk with us in these times, we can find ourselves getting close to an awsome Father.
The Queen of Gems is produced when an irritant gets caught inside a little oyster.
It must be much like a grain of sand in the eye. The oyster throws up a defense against the intruding object by secreting a substance akin to mucus. This substance builds up around the sand and hardens, and the end result is a wondrous pearl.
What odds are stacked against you? Find your best defense and learn to use it.
Identify your problem. Then analyze the situation. Break it down and study it. Confront it. I have seen people who quit before they even get started.
Deteriorating marriage, health problems, lack of confidence, low self esteem, a daily conflict of personalities in a close space?
Work on change. It is a fact, that just small changes can sometimes produce big results. Don’t be afraid to back up and try another approach.
Lots of times the first approach works! It worked for me that afternoon when I climbed those bus steps, and met David head on. Poor guy. He didn’t realize that my special day of reckoning had come, and that his bullying would stop at this particular time.
Of course, I didn’t have the strength or size to hurt him, and he knew that. I caught him by surprise. When his teasing started, I came at him. He jumped up and ran for the front of the bus, and I was right on his heels, all the way to the second seat. That is where the kids on the bus enjoyed the show.

It was a very unusual sight, big David sprawled in the bus seat, protecting himself with arms and legs spread eagle, yelling, “stop it, stop it.” I bounced around like a little bantam rooster, arms and legs waving wildly about my head, getting in an occasional whack.
David was quiet on the ride home. Even when the big boys teased him about letting a little girl beat him up, he held his peace.
Of course, I didn’t beat him up, I just shut him up by embarrassing him. Then, as well as today, I would never, ever advocate hitting or fighting.
Later, when I thought it over, I actually felt sorry for him. At the same time, I sure wasn’t sorry that a little, skinny girl gained a special insight when facing a tough situation that involved not only her, but a younger brother.
Thankfully, I never had to work on that problem with David anymore. I am so glad that I didn’t. I would never have had the courage to do that again.

Read more: http://authspot.com/thoughts/beating-the-odds/#ixzz1a9eKK6Eh