By: Juan Pablo Barrantes
I want to share with you some valuable thoughts on how to affront life with a wisdom-wise approach, so you may be able to gauge your actual condition whatever it is, and start reflecting on how your life’s future might be to find purpose and fullness. Let me start with a true-astounding story. In an early morning of August 1990, a Mexican architect was brutally kidnaped while leaving from church to his way to work. Bosco Gutierrez spent, from that moment, the next 257 days in-prisoned by his kidnappers, in a 10 square feet room, only surrounded by a weak yellow light, a small window and a video camera to get him in control at any moment. During the first stage of confinement, as days passed by, he started loosing faith, then decaying physically and mentally. Inside the small dark and humid room, he also lost the notion of time. He was just able to ask for a Bible to stay connected -if not too late- with his inner self and with God. Malnourished and almost on the verge of dementia, waiting for a rescue or a liberation that seemed to be impossible at that time, he lived a moment that turned his fate to his complete inner-self control. During that day, his raptors offered him a drink, in celebration of México’s independence day, so he asked for a glass of whisky on the rocks. But then suddenly, while having the cold drink in his hands, he heard an internal voice whispering -“Bosco, why don’t you offer Me that drink”-. He doubted for a while, until he finally walked to the toilet and threw it away. It was incredible how he felt inside, that “whisky flush moment” meant Bosco gained his freedom again, an inner-freedom nobody -except himself- owned. He understood the deep power of self control and self mastery, which made him strong enough to strive and even live peacefully despite his condition, from that moment until the last day of his kidnap. Wise choices started in Bosco’s soul and mind over the next months of captivity. Inside the ten square feet room, he split each day into healthy routines: early mornings reflecting and praying, mid mornings having a small breakfast, then cleaning thoroughly his room and running (actually he ran the equivalent of a marathon during his whole stay in the room); midday lunch, having a nap, reading the Bible and his own journal; during night journaling and praying again. With such healthy and positive behaviors he gained trust and respect from his captors. During Christmas eve he invited them into his room to pray, where he prayed for them and their families’ wellness. Those actions built confidence bonds and even less control from his captors upon him, which finally ended in a sudden hit of luck, because he was surprisingly able to escape after nine months of captivity. I think this wonderful and not so usual story is a good example on how to face life, no matter what it’s in front of us. It only depends on how strong and confident we are inside ourselves. Let me finish with some wisdom advise, this time from Jim Rohn, which I know for sure will add up more value to your life whenever you may find yourself in a difficult or challenging situation. - “Life is worthwhile if you... First, life is worthwhile if you LEARN. What you don't know WILL hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences, negative and positive. Life is worthwhile if you TRY. You can't just learn; you now have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. Life is worthwhile if you try. It doesn't mean you can do everything but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project -see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that's the end, but just don't end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through. Life is worthwhile if you CARE. If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.” — By: Juan Pablo Barrantes Read more blogs at: www.jpbarrantes1973.wixsite.com/leadersapproach