All of us, at one point or another, experience hurts, pains, failures, disappointments, and humiliations. We must not be derailed and move on with our lives – rather than wallow in self-pity and feel sorry for ourselves.
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Let me share with you stories of great men who through guts and determination overcame the obstacles in their lives.

Sometime in 1954, the manager of one of the entertainment houses in the United States hired a fellow named Elvis Presley only to fire him after one performance. The entertainment manager reportedly gave these parting words to Elvis Presley who had earlier been earning his living as a truck driver. “You are not going anywhere. Why don’t you go back to driving a truck?” We know that Elvis Presley pursued his singing career to become the most popular rock and roll singer in the United States.

I am sure very few of us remember Wilma Rudolph, the lady who won the Olympic gold medals. This achievement is outstanding because she was told as a young girl that she would not be able to walk again. At age 4, this girl who was born prematurely and being the 20th of 22 children, developed double pneumonia and scarlet fever — after this, her left leg was paralyzed. However, at the age of 9, she was emboldened by what her mother said, that she can be an achiever. Wilma started walking without her metal leg brace. At age 13, she could slowly walk and she became a runner. But she was always the tail-ender in all the running races she participated in. Until one time she won a race. Then another. Until she became an Olympic gold medalist.

That demeaning phrase “You have no talent” has caused a lot of heartache, insecurities, and in worse situations, even suicidal cases. Not to some. Burt Reynolds was one of the victims of this demeaning phrase. However, Burt Reynolds was not discouraged. Today, the fellow is one of the famous actors in Hollywood and has been in entertainment rosters of actors with lasting appeal despite his age.

Many of us are familiar with the name Thomas Edison, one of the great inventors of the United States. Do you know that in his early schooling, he was considered very slow and in fact some called him a retardate. Thomas Edison turned out to be a genius in science. At age 10, he had his own chemistry laboratory. We have many young Thomas Edisons in our midst, who are being subjected to scorn, mockery, and ridicule. And it is saddening that some parents and other relatives are often times the first to make fun of these dejected children who turn out to be late bloomers.

The person to whom the famous words “I shall return” is attributed is a military man whose application for admission to West Point, the prestigious military school in the United States, was turned down twice. Not discouraged, he applied again for the third time. He was taken in. His name is now enshrined in the history books and every Filipino who was around during the Japanese war in the Philippines will always remember him. His name is General Douglas MacArthur.
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Yes, as the Holy Bible say, “the mercies of God are fresh and new every single day.” Let’s continue living each day with great faith in our Lord God – and He will take our scars and turn them into stars for His glory.
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This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Bible for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis-Villafuerte, 5th Floor, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Roxas, Blvd., Manila. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano version that is preferred.

Be joyful and forgiving!