Overcomers…
I hate it when people doubt me. It’s even worst when people say I can’t do something. It gets under my skin. I think a lot of people feel this way. The chip on the shoulder is a great motivator. When we set out to do the things that people didn’t believe we could, we are actually more motivated to do it. I have friends fighting child sex slavery. It’s a serious issue. They believe sex slavery can end in our lifetime. I’m with them on that. Overcoming the impossible has always motivated mankind. Who ever thought man could fly, let alone break through our atmosphere to encounter space? In sports, the guy with the chip on their shoulder has the most to prove. Why does this motivate us? Why do we put in extra effort to prove others wrong?
The answer is hope. No other creature in the animal kingdom possesses the hope that humans have. I really like the dictionary’s definition of hope: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best (Dictionary.com). Hope allows us to see a reality that isn’t actualized yet. The stronger the hope we carry, the bigger the fight we put up to see our realities actualized. That’s the thing about human beings. We don’t give up. It’s in our very nature to defy odds. If you’ve ever watched a baby try to walk, you know that the human spirit is persistant. Babies are in fact a perfect example of a human spirit that is unencumbered by fear. You may say they don’t know any better and I would agree with you. There are no odds too great for a baby. Where do odds come from? They come from life. When we grow older, we accumulate fears, boundaries, regrets, doubts, lies, etc. Life tries to beat us down. It throws things like shame, guilt, and defeat to slow us down. You can let those defeats consume you and cripple you to the point of non-existence, but I believe the human spirit is far more powerful than we could ever imagine. If we have hope, we can do absolutely anything.
