Create Better Stories

Are you creating the stories today that you will tell decades from now? The best ones almost always include conquering some adversity.


It was the summer of 1976, our country's bicentennial. I bicycled almost 1200 miles, mostly by zig-zagging north and south through New York State. No helmet, riding on roads like the New York State Thruway, where it was illegal to do so. Sleeping in state parks and friends houses. Quite an adventure!





Then came July 4, 1976: the country's big birthday bash. I wanted to do something special. A friend challenged me to hike New York's two tallest peaks in the same day. Sure, why not?! He was an experienced hiker and climber, so I knew he'd help me through it.



In the morning we climbed Mount Marcy. Spectacular! By the late afternoon, I was huffing and puffing up the steep trail of Algonquin Peak. As we reached the summit — thoroughly exhausted — I pulled myself up, super proud of what we had accomplished on this special day... 





Only to be face-to-face with a toddler joyously waving a flag in my face! What the what...?!?!




What my friend had failed to tell me was that, while our trail felt almost vertical to me, there was a gentle-sloping trail on the other side of mountain that families could easily take. Arrrrrrrrgh! I was ready to kill him!!


And yet, most every year about this time, I'll retell this story for anyone who hasn't heard it for the umpteenth time.




The point: While most of us shy away from adversity most of the time...
Our adversities are what shape us into who we are today.


Annnnnd, they make the best stories for decades to come!