Endurance

What do you think of when you hear the word "endurance"? Does your mind automatically go to the atheletes who run marathons? Or the people who live in the heat soaked deserts with no food and no water or the children who endure never ending tests for their diseases? Of course, those are tests of endurance to be sure. And I can think of a multitude of others.

But for this topic I would like you to change the way you look at the word "endurance." We all want to endure. That would mean that we are strong and that we tried. That would mean that others could look to us for inspiration. Others could look AT us for inspiration.

• Endurance is standing in a grocery line with a crying baby.
• Endurance is making it through the day when you have chronic pain.
• Endurance is helping someone else when you need help.
• Endurance is smiling at your child when you really want to cry.

Do not minimize your accomplishments. Build on them. Use your endurance as a sign of your strength and and inner wisdom. I know how hard it can be to endure, my friend, but we will have our reward.