Empowerment is all about letting go so that others can get going
Kenneth Blanchard

InspirEmail

InspirEmail No 194 - November 8, 2010 - The storm will pass
'Inspirational messages to refresh the spirit and boost the emotional bank account'

The storm will pass

One day a young lady was driving with her father in the family car and they drove into a very heavy storm, and the young lady asked her father, 'What should I do, stop or keep driving?'

He said, 'keep on driving.'

As they drove on cars began to pull over to the side of the road as the storm was getting worse. Again the young lady asked, 'Father, what should I do, stop or keep driving?'

'Keep on driving' her father replied.

A few kilometres on the young lady noticed that not only more cars were pulling over, but also some big transport trucks were also pulling over to the side of the road. She told her father, 'Now I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible and everyone is pulling over!'

Her father told her again, 'Don't give up, just keep driving!'

Now the storm was at its worst, but she did as her father had advised and kept driving and then the storm started to ease and she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of kilometres she had driven out of the storm and the sun came out and the road ahead was dry.

Her father said, 'Now you can pull over and let's get out.'

'But why now, Father?' she asked.

Her father said 'When you get out, you can look back at all the people in cars and trucks that gave up and are still in the storm and because you never gave up your storm is now over.'

This is a testimony for anyone who is going through 'hard times' and their own 'personal storms.'

Just because everyone else, even the strongest, gives up. You don't have to . . . if you keep going, soon your storm will be over and the road ahead will be dry and clear, and the sun will shine upon you again.

Author Unknown

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Needing approval more than advice

No matter what Gary did, it was never enough to please his father. When he got seven A's and three B's, his dad asked about the B's. When he described the wonderful girl he'd fallen in love with, he got a lecture cautioning that she may be different than he thought.

Gary's dad was stunned and hurt when Gary took a job in another town. He tried to talk him out of it, explaining the advantages of being close to the family and the pitfalls of moving.

Finally, Gary exploded, 'Dad, I'm moving to get away from you! I love you, but I can't stand the way you tear down everything I do.'

He braced himself for a counterattack, but for the first time in his life he saw his dad's mask of confidence dissolve into vulnerability. With tears in his eyes, his dad stammered, 'All I ever wanted was to make you better and help you reach your potential and avoid risks. It's what I do. It's why my business is so successful. Do you want me to ignore my experience and just be a cheerleader?'

'Dad, our relationship isn't about productivity,' Gary explained.

'You're my dad. Sometimes I need praise more than a push and approval more than advice. Constantly trying to make me better just makes me feel worse. It's not enough that you love me. I need you to appreciate me.'

That's an important lesson. In personal relationships, there may be benefits to the relentless pursuit of better, but the cost may be too high.

Written by Michael Josephson

Michael Josephson is one of the most sought-after and quoted ethicists. Founder and president of Josephson Institute and its Character Counts project, he has conducted programs for more than 100,000 leaders in government, business, education, sports, law enforcement, journalism, law, and the military. Mr. Josephson is also an award-winning radio commentator. You can subscribe to his regular free Character Counts Commentaries on the website. To view the contact details please visit . . . Positive Inspirational Links >>>