Staying Power

I have a book that I read when I want to be inspired. It is a compilation of inspirational articles by reader’s digest entitled “Keys to happiness” a guide to successful living. One of its articles entitled the way back by Fred Raymund Gilpatric discuss about his experience on a mental institution. He narrates that he was successful in his life until a tragedy struck his family that makes him stop living a normal life  and he chose to be locked up in a mental institution. He had it all in the past a successful career, a good reputation, an intelligent wife and two sons but all changed when his son committed suicide. There was no clear reason why it happened but later on his wife also committed suicide. After his wife died he left his friends and his career and locked himself up in a mental institution doing nothing. His other son went to the marines.

The doctors in the institution tried everything they can to help him but to no avail, until he was asked to stack up old books there. He was just doing what he was told and stacks the books on the shelf when a name caught his attention. A book by Dr. Fosdick interested him because he met this man before in his childhood years. He read his book entitled ‘The power to see it through every day until he came to the chapter entitled “staying power.”

It states that staying power is always associated with a certain integrity of conscience. Whatever else life may give or deny, one thing is absolutely indispensable – that a man should not break faith with himself; that he should keep his honor bright in his own eyes. He realized that he blamed himself for what had happened. He drowned in self-pity and broke faith with himself. The book also states that “Staying power is always associated with something greater than oneself, to which one gives loyalty – an object of devotion. He also realized that he has became selfish in just thinking of himself he forgot that his son had also experienced the tragedy but choose to continue on with life. He finally realized that he was such a coward to lock himself up. He decided to volunteer for a job in their local library and live his life again. This time he has no intention to earn more money but to continue living with a renewed purpose. When someone ask him if he will return to the mental institution again? He said that it will never ever happen because he will not break faith with himself and will always keep his honor bright in his own eyes.

Nowadays you will hear news about people who just give up on life and commits suicide. Whatever is their reason there is always hope and I wish that they will realize that they are not the only people who experience hardships and trials. There are people who experienced far worst in life but they remain steadfast and faithful. It is quite true that people became unwavering in the test of life if they have dedicated their life to others because they will think of the people that depended on them. Their main concern is the outcome of those people who needed them if they are already gone in this world.I am not here to judge but people who usually commits suicide are selfish because they only think about themselves.

“ A vital faith in God gives a man internal power, a spiritual vision from which divine companionship he draws replenished strength” taken from a book “The power to see it through” by Dr. Fosdick.

“All things work together for those who love God and are called for his purpose” taken from the bible Romans 8:28.