I was sitting here thinking about all of life’s struggles and tribulations that we all have and go through, and I was wondering, "Why must we all have adversity in our lives?" I really started thinking hard about this and I think I have come up with a couple of answers.

Before I came up with these answers though I thought about other people, from throughout history, that had suffered many struggles, or obstacles, that they had to overcome before they could succeed. Let me name just a few here, and then perhaps you will have a better understanding of what I am trying to say.

Helen Keller suffered a great deal due to her loss of hearing, voice, and sight. Her teacher Anne Sullivan struggled extremely hard to try and find a way to communicate with Helen. Despite the challenges that they both faced Anne Sullivan was eventually able to get through to Helen and teach her how to communicate with others.

Helen Keller once wrote, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. Silver is purified in fire and so are we. It is in the most trying times that our real character is shaped and revealed."

Another great person that faced many struggles was the great Ray Charles. Ray lost her eyesight at a very early age due to a disease in his eyes, and he also suffered the loss of his brother, which he blamed on himself for many years. Ray turned to heroine to try to relieve his pain and suffering, and yet despite all of the challenges he faced he was one of the greatest musicians of our time.

"The fact of the matter is, you don't give up what's natural. Anything I've fantasized about, I've done."
Quote By: Ray Charles

Here are a few other examples of people that faced trials and tribulations that you may recognize;

As an elementary student, actor James Earl Jones (a.k.a. Darth Vader) stuttered so badly he communicated with friends and teachers using written notes.

"When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language."
Quote By: James Earl Jones

Thomas Edison tried over 2,000 experiments before he was able to get his light bulb to work. Upon being asked how he felt about failing so many times, he replied, "I never failed once. I invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2,000-step process."

In 1927 the head instructor of the John Murray Anderson Drama School, instructed student Lucille Ball, to "Try any other profession. Any other."

Here's a great quote said by the great, late Lucille Ball;

"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn' t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself."                           

All of these people in history faced challenges or obstacles in their life that they had to face head on. They all decided they were not going to quit despite people telling them they would not be successful at what they wanted to achieve, this shows us the amount of determination, and belief in one’s self, that they all possessed. They all won even though they had faced many defeats, and were discouraged by others.

If we all did not face adversity or obstacles in our life, I believe we would not appreciate the times when everything worked out well for us. I also believe that these struggles that we face make us much stronger people, and gives us the determination to keep trying. Without this strength we would not be able to fly, or to reach for the stars!! So, Keep flying and reaching for the stars my friends…and NEVER give up!

God Bless You All,

Marilyn