This week, I want to share some encouragement with those who are facing challenges, essentially all of us.
First of all, it’s ok.
Challenges are ok. They make us grow.
Defeats are ok. Sometimes we need a failure to be motivated to pursue success again, perhaps taking a different approach.
Setbacks are ok. Every setback is nothing but a setup for a comeback.
Life can be challenging even under the most ordinary conditions, but things can be especially difficult when you take a stand for what is right.
In fact, when you have been called to do things that are right – whether in business, in government or even in the context of friendship or family –it is often tiring, frustrating and seemingly without reward.
When the going gets tough, as it surely will, we have to remember that it's ok.
Rest assured in the knowledge that the steps of a good man and woman are ordered by the Almighty.
Mindful of the diverse audiences with a plethora of perspectives reading this message, let me reaffirm that goodness or righteousness does not emanate solely from a "religious" person. These qualities also beam from those who are devoted to the fair and equitable treatment of their fellow human beings.
We owe it to our spouses, our partners, our sons and daughters, our employees, our neighbors, and our business associates to comport ourselves in a respectful manner, by supporting and edifying one another in good and not-so-good times.
We all fall short of this standard at times, and we don’t live in a perfect world. Undoubtedly, there will be occasions when we have to deal with behavior – disrespectful or offensive – that is antithetical to what we believe.
Worry not. It’s ok.
African American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou wrote,
“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.”
Be encouraged, brothers and sisters. As you overcome one challenge at a time, let your light shine, and always remember that “our steps are ordered”.
