The Fifth Commandment of Success
Thou Must Smile In The Face
Of Adversity Until It Surrenders
You are wiser than most, once you realize that adversity is never the permanent condition
of man. And yet this wisdom alone is not sufficient. Adversity and failure can destroy you
while you wait patiently for your fortune to change. Deal with them in only one way.
Welcome them both,
with open arms!
Since this injunction
goes against all
logic or reason,
it is the most
difficult to
understand or
master.
Let the tears
you shed, over
your misfortunes,
cleanse thine
eyes so that ye
might see the truth.
Realize that he who
wrestles with you
always strengthens your
nerves and sharpens your
skills. Your antagonist is always,
in the end, your best helper.
Adversity is the rain in your life,
cold, comfortless, and
unfriendly. Yet from that season
are born the lily, the rose, the
date, and the pomegranate. Who
can tell what great things you will
bring forth after you have been
parched by the heat of tribulation
and drenched by the rains of
affliction? Even the desert
blooms after a storm.
Adversity is also your
greatest teacher. You will
learn little from your
victories but when
you are pushed,
tormented, and
defeated you will acquire
great knowledge,
for only then will you
become acquainted
with your true self
since you are free, at
last, from those who
flatter thee. And who
are your friends? When
adversity engulfs you is the
best time to count them.
Remind thyself, in the darkest
moments, that every failure is
only a step toward success,
every detection of what is
false directs you toward what
is true, every trial exhausts
some tempting form of error,
and every adversity will only
hide, for a time, your path to
peace and fulfillment.
❖ Chapter 15 ❖
James C. Metzger
Chairman / CEO
Whitmoregroup.com
/Whitmoregroup.com
