Go fly kite

Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it - Winston Churchill.

Last week, I saw the dvd "the kite runner." It is a heartwarming show about friendship, betrayal, loyalty, hypocrisy and redemption. Many lessons can be learned from the show.
One of them is that nothing demonstrates more clearly the freedom and power of personal choice than to come face-to-face with adversity.

Between adversity and our response is a small space. This small space is the exercise of our choice. When faced with a crisis, our choice makes the crucial difference. We can choose how we respond to the crisis. Our fate is not determined by the adversity; it is determined by our choice. Ultimately, we are in control, we determine our fate.

What is consistent in this life is adversity. What is not is our response to it. Some choose to overcome adversity. They grow stronger; they become more resilient. Some choose to succumb to it. They remain defeated; they are miserable. As the saying goes, "setbacks are inevitable, but misery is a choice."

Next time you find yourself in the eye of a crisis, pause for a moment and give a thought to that small space in between. The small space is no doubt small but it carries great power. It is the power of personal choice. It determines your response to the crisis; it ultimately determines the direction of your life.

So, if you are a kite, go where the wind is the strongest and wildest. Because if you do so, you will rise the highest!