Character Building Block

Around this time last year I went on a road trip to see landmarks in California, Nevada, and Arizona. During that road trip I was persuaded into camping a night in Death Vally National Park. For those that don’t know, Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world. It has reached temperatures over 130 degrees Fahrenheit (50 Degrees Celsius). At that time of our road trip temperatures in Death Valley had reached somewhere around 126F (52C). But hey, it was a once in a lifetime kind of thing.

Anyway, after finding the right campsite, some difficulty pitching the tent, including almost passing out in the process, and waiting for the sun to go down, it dawned on me that I never really checked to see how the weather would be at night. Let’s just say I was in for a treat.

I have a fear of Thunder and Lightning. It scares the living daylights out of me. It’s loud, it reaches for miles, and it can kill you. You know, some people say lightning never strikes in the same place twice. Well, theres actually proof that lightning can strike the same place multiple times. I’ve read at least up to seven. Freaky! Okay, well I think you know where this is going. As the sun started to disappear clouds began to cover the night sky, and you guessed it; there was thunder and lightning. So there was a slight change of plan at that point. Instead of staying in the tent that took blood, sweat, and tears to build; it was time to sit in the car and wait the storm out.

Talk about the longest wait of my life. I cried, I cowered, and I was not having it! Now I didn’t pass out or anything, but my anxiety was so high that I fortunately became so tired that I just fell asleep. On the plus side, I also had company throughout the whole thing to keep me comforted.

When I woke up the next day, the clouds were calm and the sun was starting to rise. It was then I remembered that no matter what the trouble is, there will be a new day; and the sun will continue to shine. Fast forward to today, and I’m have just had surgery on my right achilles tendon. Another reason to be stressed. But after having a very brief convo with a dear friend of mine, I was advised to instead of calling my repair an injury, I should call it a “Character Building Block.”

Which is exactly what it is, and can be applied to any difficult situation; like Death Valley and my surgery. Because I believe that both these situations have built me into a much stronger person.

Think of difficult situations that you have overcome. Fee Maybe someone said something negative about your birthmark. Maybe you were nervous to show your birthmark out to the public for the first time without make-up on. How did you overcome it? These situations are just ‘Character Building Blocks’ that have made you into the strong person you are today.