Knocked down?
When difficulties strike, we commonly think we can never shrug them off. We feel doomed to be in that situation forever. Rising like a phoenix from the ashes is a far- fetched idea. But when we are forced to be in that situation and see darkness everywhere, mythological stories form a guiding light.
The story of Bhagirath can form an excellent example of the characteristic of resilience. Bhagirath's ancestors were burnt to ashes due to sage Kapil's curse. He aimed to free his forefathers from the curse and help them achieve moksh by bringing the mighty Ganges down to earth. He had to put in a tremendous effort and face many difficulties to achieve his mission. First, he had to please Ganga through rigorous penance. On her suggestion, he had to channel her flow by again doing rigorous penance for many years to please Shiv. Even when Shiv was pleased and let the Ganges flow from his hair, his woes did not end there. He had to continue his rigorous penance to please sage Jahna, who had kept Ganga captive for flooding his ashram. His resilience paid off after innumerable woes and hurdles, and he achieved his mission.
Let alone divine stories, the life of the great English author Helen Keller can be an inspiring journey. Hearing-impaired, visually-impaired, she battled dark times of her life through sheer resilience. Confucius rightly said, 'Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.'
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