As a teenager, I read a story about a man who got fed up with life and decided to end it all. He didn’t go through the normal route of suicide, but went to the king and asked for permission that one of the king’s soldiers will take him into the forest and kill him. He wanted to end his life, but didn’t have the courage to do it himself. This man had only his underwear on as they made their way to the forest.
On getting there, as the Soldier was about to carry out the task, a naked man appeared out of nowhere begging the Soldier to please give him the man’s underwear before carrying out his mission. The man who was about to die could not believe his eyes, he thought it was all over for him, but couldn’t believe that there was someone whose situation was even worse.
If someone whose situation is worse than his doesn’t see death as the last resort, why should he? The story ended with the Soldier taking the two men back to the King. If you think things are bad for you, be rest assure that many will prefer to be in your shoes.
It reminds me of complaining of not having enough time for my dreams. I complained as if I was the only soul in this world with this challenge, sometimes we think we have the biggest problem in the world until we hear or listen to someone else’s story which also serves as a source of encouragement.
A story I read in a magazine really straightened me out; this woman managed to pursue her dream of becoming a published writer despite the challenges she had. At the time she had two younger kids, a disabled husband and was working full time. Looking after two younger kids and a disabled husband is a full-time job.
If she’s not complaining how dare me a single man with no kids, I work full time as well, but compared to her, I have more time than she does, it’s quite imperative to do research about things that will challenge us to greater heights. The secret behind her achievements was self-management; I recalled the statement made by the organiser of the network marketing seminar I attended. If I could master the art of self-management, I would achieve more within a short period.