Love is not lovedAre you going through a situation that overwhelms you? Unexpected news, an unexpected diseaseYou wonder why? Do you deny the suffering, the injustice, the pain?
Remember this principle: what you reject becomes your enemy. Carl Jung, pioneer of depth psychology, put it this way: what you accept, transforms you; what you deny, subdues you.
The best thing you can do in the face of adversity is to accept it. Only then will you be able to deal with it effectively.
The Holy Scriptures nourish our hope: "We know that for those who love God, all things work together for good" (Rom 8:28).
We have countless examples of people who have discovered wonderful hidden talents just by facing an unexpected challenge.
Do you know what a dungeon is? The dictionary defines it as a hidden place arranged to illegally hide things or kidnapped people. Bosco Gutiérrez lived in one of them for 257 days. A Mexican architect who was kidnapped, stripped of everything, he lived in this dark place without ever hearing the voice of his guards.
They say that success is not for the strongest but for those who know how to adapt. After the initial shock, Bosco falls into depression as the days go by without being rescued. However, at some point when his kidnappers saw him on the verge of death, they cheered him up by presenting him with a sign that read: "Long live Mexico, today is September 16". It was then that he learned that he had been in these conditions for a month and felt he had to adapt for his own good. He seriously questioned his faith, did he truly believe in God? He nodded and assumed it was in His hands. He thought of his family and wished vehemently to see them again. So he ordered what he needed to perfectly clean that 3 x 2 meter cubbyhole and designed a schedule in which he read the Bible, wrote letters, said Mass from memory, and jogged in his small space.
8 principles in the face of adversity
He wrote down 8 commandments that would govern his day to day life, he stuck them on the wall to keep them in sight:
- Limit the imagination. "I won't give a second thought to what's wrong with me, I'll damage my health and accomplish nothing."
- Practical intelligence. "I will adapt to circumstances."
- Keep the faith. "I will not argue with God, He knows better than I do what is good for me."
- I will wait patiently. "This will last as long as God wills."
- Take the opportunity to pray. "I will pray for those I love, I will grow in sacrifice and abandonment."
- Remembering that there are many people who suffer more than I do. "I'm fine here, I'm not lacking anything."
- I will make practical resolutions to be better upon my return.
- Be optimistic. I will not lose hope, I will banish negative thoughts.
These principles are undoubtedly supported by the most up-to-date specialists in neuroscience. Each of the actions he set out to carry out helped him to shape a healthy, positive and enterprising brain. In addition, his life of faith and prayer kept his hope alive, so that he was able, at the right time, to escape and be reunited with his family safe and sound.
Today he has published his testimony in book and film. He also gives lectures with profound reflections that motivate thousands to persevere in all circumstances. In the midst of his painful experience, he confirmed what Nietzsche so aptly stated with the phrase: "He who has a why, will always find a how".
Accept your reality with peace, ask God for help and face whatever comes with wisdom.
