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Last night I went to see the new movie, Invictus. The story is about how Nelson Mandela used the 1995 rugby team to save his countrymen. While he was incarcerated he read the poem Invictus to keep him inspired. The movie tells how President Mandela gave the poem to the captain of the rugby team so he could inspire his teammates to victory in the World Cup.
The poem ends in "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."
That is a powerful statement that must be read and re-read. Can you actually understand and BELIEVE that you are the master of your fate? Or do you continue to make excuses for your short-comings?
It's not my fault, I didn't do it, I don't have time, there is not any money, the economy is bad, I thought this was a scam, It's too hard, too far to drive, I'm afraid to change, genetics...
I hear reasons on a daily basis on why and how patients can't get better in their health, and it saddens me dearly. My first response is to ask how well are you doing with your exercise? How well are you doing with your nutrition? Your reduction of toxins? Your schedule of adjustments? If your answer is not that well, or if you have an excuse as to why it wasn't better, who's at fault? Your chiropractor, your boss, or your bad genes? Look in the mirror. It's you.
There are so many people in our world that achieve great things, and have gone through great adversity getting there. Nelson Mandela went on the lead a country after incarceration and segregation. He worked hard and woke up early to fulfill his dream...his purpose in life. Nobody said the journey was going to be easy. In fact you have to expect confrontation and obstacles along the way. Do you give up as soon as you hit those obstacles, or do you get back up, shake it off, thank God for the opportunity to learn from the challenge, and move forward again? Or do you blame something other than you?
God has called you to be great and wants you to succeed. When you make excuses, you are telling Him you can't, or worse yet you won't.
A goal in 2010 is to take responsibility for your actions. Be responsible for your health. Tell others about the power that is inside of you that heals, and how when you commit to change-you change. Overcome your challenges and work harder than you have in your life. Become that Man in the Arena.
The Man in the Arena is the title of a speech given by Teddy Roosevelt on April 23, 1910. (the poem that was actually given to the rugby captain by Mandela was not Invictus, but this one)
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
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