Tony Williamson - dollar for your thoughts

" ... but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."

- The Holy Bible

The early life of the racehorse Seabiscuit was one of failure, abuse and discouragement. He overcame discouragement because he was surrounded by persons who loved him and spoke words of kindness to him.

This changed the horse and helped to transform him from a broken-down reject to the greatest racehorse of the 20th century. He had greatness in him all along. He just didn't know it. So have you. You are not destined to fail. You were born a winner and the sky is the limit.

Your present circumstances might be as discouraging as ever. You might be broke, in ill health, facing a divorce, made redundant, betrayed by a friend, criticised unjustly, or a host of other negatives. But these are external circumstances. They don't define you. You have to project yourself outside the crippling confines of your present distress into the success for which you were born.

Discouragement is the constant companion of all men. Life can deal you a bitter hand, causing you discouragement.

If you don't deal with your disappointment positively, there are at least two reactions that you might have. At one end is anger. You are angry at people, angry at your spouse, angry with yourself. Or you might go into depression, the end point of which could be thoughts of suicide. I am frankly amazed at the number of emails I get from people contemplating suicide. But suicide is not an option. A quitter never wins.

WHAT TO DO

Surround yourself with people who can help you. Seek professional help if you are gripped by depression. Seek out people who have passed through discouragement and come through stronger.

Seabiscuit's change began to take place when three men surrounded him. They spoke words of encouragement to him. They loved him. Amazingly, the horse began to change, to be less angry, to believe in himself. For they told him (and he must have somehow understood them) that he had greatness within him, regardless of his past experiences.

Spark of greatness

And so have you. There is a divine spark of greatness in us all. If we find it, we find a treasure that money cannot buy. Discouragement is common to all. Sometimes, we become discouraged because we have failed at something. But failing at something does not make you a failure, as every heartache, every failure, every adversity carries within it the seed of a corresponding greater good.

Talking with caring people helps But what if you are alone? Then talk to yourself. Recount your blessings aloud. You may surprise yourself how many blessings are yours right now despite the difficulties you face.

If you are a person of faith, do what King David did when he was running for his life and facing disappointment and discouragement from every quarter. The Bible records, "David encouraged himself in the Lord his God".

Power of prayer

Prayer changes things, and when your friends abandon you, others accuse you falsely, your faith will keep you from inconsolable despair.

You are going to fall in life. Falling and failure are part of life. "The steps of a good man," the Bible says, "are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way. THOUGH HE FALL, he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand."

Les Brown, the motivational speaker, says when you fall, fall on your back, for if you can look up, you can get up. Abraham Lincoln said, "I am not concerned that you have fallen. I am concerned that you arise."

Tony Williamson is an international motivational speaker, sales trainer, author and lifestyle consultant. Email tonywilliamson_57@yahoo.com.

Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) admires his prized racehorse, Seabiscuit. - Contributed

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