I recently had a mentor share with me an exercise his mentor shared with him. He told me to write down 20 things that happened in my life that got me to where I was. And then write 10 things I know I need to work on. I spent a few hours writing down many of the major events that have happened in the past few years. Some things misunderstood until they were written out before me. Other things tragic and painful to recall.
I thought about posting some of those ugly details for everyone to read. In the name of transparency. That maybe someone else could identify with them and be encouraged. I wasn't quite sure why I waited to post those stories. But then I realized my focus was all wrong. Today as I was mowing the lawn I had a revelation. "This is not my story. These are not my defining moments. These are the moments that life tried to hold me back from my true story. I will not be defined by these moments any longer. I am not the victim."
Something has shifted within me. It's been less than 24 hours since my new discovery but I know I've changed. I am not less fortunate or disadvantaged because of the things that lie in my past. I am stronger. I am most fortunate that the events behind me did not break me, they forged me. I don't know if you've ever watched a master blacksmith forge a blade that legends are made of. Well, to be honest, I haven't either. But, when a blade is forged it takes countless hours of being heated to the point where the metal is pliable. And then pounded for strength and shape. This process is repeated again and again until the blacksmith decides the steel has been folded enough times and the shape is just right.
Once the pounding is complete, then comes the sharpening. A stone moved across the length of the blade over 1,000 times to remove any excess metal and create a sharp edge that will not dull at the first sign of resistance. Life has a way of putting us into the furnace and pounding us repeatedly. If we let it continue to repeat it's process and become what it molds us into, we can become legends. Few ever come across or choose to see this perspective. But those who do are not victims of their life and circumstances. No, they are weapons of legend in the process of being forged. Who, once the process has finished, will know no impossibility and be held back by no obstacle.
Which will you choose to be? The victim. Or one in the process of being forged into legend?
