About a month ago I was captivated by a story about a 95-year-old veteran who continues on his quest to run across America from San Diego to Georgia. Interestingly, this is the second time he is embarking on this run, as he previously did this in 2016. I was just astonished at the thought of being that age and having the stamina to be able to accomplish such a task. Over the years, I have learned that all of us have a level of strength that we can summon from the depths of our inner being which we never knew we had, until we are pressed in an extraordinary circumstance. I have heard stories of people who have helped others after an accident, where they lifted an incredible amount of weight to help rescue someone in dire need. Some people call these extraordinary beings who came out of nowhere angels, who were brought by divine intervention to aid them in their moment of need. If you begin to filter the stories which are fed to us via the many channels of social media, television or any other form of communication, you realize that there are plenty of stories of these extraordinary occurrences to go around. Then a couple of weeks ago, I saw a great story of a young man who was homeless living in Virginia and worked three part time jobs to get himself through school and was eventually accepted into his dream university of Boston College. Aside from his shear will and determination to overcome homelessness, he took it upon himself to walk from where he lived prior to the beginning of his school year. His purpose in doing so as he proceeded over the course of many weeks was to raise money for homeless students, as he traveled on foot through the many states it took to get him to Massachusetts. Again, not only was I astonished at such a tremendous effort by this great example of a youth, the fact that this young man took it upon himself to help other homeless students, while making the world focus on issues that we should all do something about was just amazing. In this story, they didn't mention any parents who were involved; however, I just know that there must have been many shining lights of individuals, who in some way helped him achieve such great accomplishments. All of this makes me reflect on the strength and perseverance which is in all of us, as we await the different instances where we will need to call upon one of these super powers to help us get through one of life's hurdles. While I appreciate that a tough circumstance can create the impetus to achieve, I know for many of us, it is not a large obstacle that may be in our way. For many of us, just getting out of our own comfort zone and being willing to step into a new direction can be the challenge. What we have to rely upon is what brought us to these moments and the fact that our life experiences are the stepping stones, which we need to remember are beneath our feet already. I hope all of you are able to find that grit and determination when you are in need and remember that if a 95-year-old person can raise the bar for all of us to achieve great things, then so can you!
