Nigh on 30 years ago I read the Den of Lions by Terry Anderson, the journalist who was kidnapped by Shiite militants in Beirut, Lebanon in 1985 and held for over 6 years. It was a story that was both horrifying and inspiring and while it left me impressed with the strength of spirit Anderson displayed, I also wondered if I had the same level of internal fortitude. Stripped of all external support, degraded and chained, he found a way to survive and even grow stronger. Could I do the same?
Den of Lions greatly raised my awareness re how much of my self-concept, identity, and emotional strength came from external sources (positional power) versus springing from within (personal power). I had always had an interest in personal and spiritual growth however this book motivated me to significantly step up my game re bringing my inner world up to par with my outer world. While such a calamity might never befall me, I wanted to build the strength of personality, the resilience of spirit, the centeredness, the knowing, the internal calm that bestows serenity and peace of mind in troubled times.
Mental muscles are like physical ones, you must attend to them regularly or they atrophy. Build your strength before you need it; the wise prepare before the storm comes. And the tempest always comes.
Closing Quotes:
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese proverb
“No matter how bleak or menacing a situation may appear, it does not entirely own us. It can’t take away our freedom to respond, our power to take action.” – Ryder Carroll
“We all have battles to fight. And it’s often in those battles that we are most alive: it’s on the frontlines of our lives that we earn wisdom, create joy, forge friendships, discover happiness, find love, and do purposeful work.” – Eric Gretens
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier