The Via train
crash in Ottawa yesterday got me thinking about tragedies and adversities in
life. Consequently, today I would like to share with you my thoughts on
tragedies and adversities in life. M.
Scott Peck said “The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur
when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy or unfulfilled. For it is
only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step
out of ruts and start searching for different ways and truer answers.”
For the people
affected by the accident in Ottawa it is truly a traumatic event and an adversity
of life or a challenge of life or what we call the storm of life. While I have never personally experience such
horrific tragedy and I pray that I never will I am deeply empathetic to people
who are affected. My empathy comes from the fact that I have faced other
adversities of life some which has left me with deep pains and wounds. Some the
storms of life I have had to be confronted with left me a tsumani of varying
emotions that can only be described by uncontrolled rollercoaster ride
.
I have learned
a number of important lessons from my experience. The first lesson is when
faced with adversities don’t make up excuses. Face the reality and acknowledge
the facts of the situation you have found yourself. In February 2009 at the pinnacle
of the global financial crisis my mother passed away and I was severely
overwhelmed by a flood of emotions such as anger and resentment. Here I was dealing
with the ravages of the financial crisis only for a piece of my heart to be
ripped away with the death of my mother. Whether I wanted to face it or not
this was my reality!
The second
important lesson for me when faced with adversity is always to find a way out. I
recall many years ago traveling through rural Jamaica with my slightly
intoxicated father at the wheel of his Dodge Avenger. I recall my father
telling my mother to kiss him before he navigated each treacherous corner along
the terrains of the Don Figueroa Mountain. The Don Figueroa Mountain is well
over 1000 feet high and in the eyes of a scared boy it was steeper than the Grand
Canyon. To use the analogy, adversities are like those treacherous corners and
steep cliffs that you must navigate. The kiss for my father was his way to get
around those dangerous corners. When you are faced with adversities you have to
find that one or two things that will get you out of the difficult situation
you are facing. I call it the kiss of hope or the restoration of hope.
Adversities or tragedies such as
the Via Train crash in Ottawa come out of the middle of nowhere. They are
timely and very often miraculously appear out of nowhere to hit you with a
curve ball. As sad and traumatic as they are, they help us to understand our
will and resolve. They provide us with an
opportunity to demonstrate our inner strengths, the real power we have inside. The
pain and wounds will cut deep and will take an awful long time to heal. I know
that from personal experience as I am still dealing with the legacies of some
my adversities of life. Despite the pain and tsunami of emotions I also know
that the trials of life are transient, no matter how hard they are, you will
definitely reach your desired peaceful shore.
My condolences and sympathies to
all those involved in this tragic Via Train/OC Transpo bus accident in Ottawa
and to family and friends who have lost love ones.
Mark McKenzie is a leading
Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well
as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth
mentor. He can be contacted by email
mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/
and always write me a comment and share.
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