Roots Of Strength

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the cyclic nature of scarcity and abundance.  If we are fortunate our lives are blessed with moments of abundance that provide us great opportunities to give back to others, while shifting our generational progress forward through procreation, education and wealth building.  But is abundance also the root of all suffering?  And is suffering necessary in order to create opportunities for abundance?  The cycle is poetically captured by this quote from the post-apocalyptic author G. Michael Hopf :

Hard times create strong men …

Strong men create easy times …

Easy times create weak men …

Weak men create hard times ….

The Roots of Strength

A few months ago over the Thanksgiving holiday, my family was fortunate to have a meal and converse with my Aunt Theresa about my Dad’s side of the family.  His family was a first generation family of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States during the Mexican Revolution.  My great-grandfather worked for the Mexican government at the time and felt it wasn’t safe for his family to be in Mexico, so he sent my grandfather (Francisco) and his brother on a train to Chriesman, TX to live with his Aunt’s and Uncle’s who had already come to the states and settled.  While we laughed, joked and enjoyed the stories told through the words of our unofficial family historian, one thing became very clear in my mind.  This was not an easy time to be alive.  The ways of life for this family of immigrants could best be described as surviving.  Food was scarce, mouths to feed were in abundance and the most of the days revolved around doing what was necessary to get through each day alive and fed, while working hard to create a better life.  As I heard specific stories about the man I never really knew (Francisco died when I was only 3 years old) from his daughter, I felt an overwhelming connection to him and the character enlivened from these stories.  He was a leader, he was a loving father, he was very deep thinker, he valued education and he was a hard worker.  He lived in a time of scarcity, yet he was a man of strength. 

Francisco’s way of life and his legacy had a heavy influence in my up bringing.  Growing up I watched my Dad and Mom work hard, provide for their family, value education and ensure that my siblings and me had everything we needed to thrive in this world.  I couldn’t have asked for a better set up and I’m thankful for the generational shift that was afforded to me.  While I did not have it “easy”, I can definitely say that I also wasn’t just “surviving” growing up.  Over the last 20 years, I’ve been humbled at the opportunities that have been afforded to my family and I.  I have been blessed and showered with abundance and appreciate the fleeting nature of it, while embracing the good I can do with it.  I’ve also been blessed to share in the progress of our generational shift with my kids.  So with all this abundance our lives, how do we stay strong during times that may seem not so hard?   

On Creating Strong Men and Women

In one of the most well-known books on strategy “The Art of War”, Sun Tzu posits to “Plan for what is hard, while it is easy”.  It’s a simple principle, yet a potent reminder that in times of ease we must prepare and anticipate challenges and difficulties before they happen so that we can envision how we would persevere.  It’s this foresight and planning that helps us develop a strategic mindset about life, allows us to “zoom out” a bit and gain elevation in our thinking.  When we do this, we are able to see better around life’s corners and use objective information to make better decisions.  Planning for what is hard, while it is easy is how strong men and women shape their future. 

Marcus Aurelius, the great roman emperor and stoic philosopher was known for “practicing discomfort”, a technique used to develop resilience throughout his life.  Marcus observed his abundance as a emperor, yet refused to indulge in the traditional privilege of Power.  He was known for often sleeping on the hard floor at night or wearing a philosopher clothing as opposed to an emperor’s wardrobe.  Practicing discomfort was a tactic to keep him grounded in the ephemerality of life and remind him that as he quotes in his book Meditations “You could leave this life right now” (a grasp at the insignificance of our time on earth, yet making it appoint to be present in our living).  Discomfort is universal, and living with some form of it provides a type of stability to our lives that gives us the space to grow our mental strength so that we are always ready for what life can give us.  There is peace with having some discomfort in your life.  Strong men and women practice discomfort as a way to participate in hard times, when times may not be so hard. 

Finally, the idea and concept of “suffering” is at the core of Christianity, with Jesus enduring physical, emotional and psychological suffering while demonstrating the importance of enduring this suffering with faith and hope.  The sacrifice that Jesus made for us to have eternal salvation, is the ultimate example of passing down generational strength through the conduit of love and forgiveness.  Through this strength, we see his transcendence above worldly abundance of doubt and scarcity of faith, to the promise of everlasting life.  Strong men and women find ways to live a life of sacrifice, suffering and faith no matter what their circumstances are.

A Framework for Resiliency

Cycles of suffering and enduring are foundational to developing a life of strength in parallel to the perpetual cycles of abundance and scarcity that move throughout each generation.  Our skills in resiliency and perseverance are the greatest gifts we can pass down generationally.  Honing these skills can take a life time.  It will take some discipline and a willingness to trust in the process of humility, sacrifice and self-reflection.  As we develop these skills, we must also teach these skills through our actions and words.  As parents, we must help our kids understand sacrifice and suffering, as spouses we must practice discomfort together and as friends and members of our communities we should help each other be resilient and persevere through adversity together.  Marcus Aurelius states, “The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away”.  When I think about Francisco and all those that have come before me and who will come after me, I am thankful for the “wealth” of strength passed down and look forward to sharing my “wealth” of strength as my legacy.

-Abe