Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once. ~ Paulo Coelho
This quote was shared by Women Who Change the World on Facebook. The idea that there are two tests reminded me of an oracle card I pulled recently that illustrated two outcomes of a storm: to trap or to nourish. The storm clouds, whether they trap or nourish, “transform events and outcomes” according to Donni Hakanson.
In the story of the Gymea Lily, a fierce summer rainstorm caused a tribe in the mountains of Australia to take cover. The rains were so great they created a landslide that trapped the people. One warrior sought and found a way out, only then to realize he couldn’t free his people because large boulders were wedged into the mouth of the cave they had taken shelter in. That warrior kept his people alive while continuing to work to free them. One day, exhausted, he slipped and fell to
his death. As he died, full of anguish for not being able to care for his tribe, he clutched a small plant with white flowers. Those flowers turned red with his blood, and the plant grew, strengthened by his spirit. The rains that had trapped the warrior’s people later nourished the flower he clutched.
Photo by dave jack from Pexels
The storm revealed the character of the warrior just as whatever happens in our lives can reveal our character. For example, when nothing happens it can reveal impatience or doubt, while everything happening at once can reveal a lack of focus or ability to cope and multi-task. In this case, the storm is what’s happening and that happening is either all or nothing.
Think about it, what have you learned about yourself when nothing appears to be happening? When everything appears to be happening all at once? How does this new awareness impact the way you continue on with your journey?
