In 1979, the great actor Vincent Price starred in a television series called Time Express. You've likely never heard of it because it only lasted four episodes before being canceled.
In this program, Price played a train conductor who could take people back in time to relive pivotal periods in their lives. One could thus relive an event and change the course of one's life. It sounds intriguing, but is that really what any of us want? The answer to that question may explain why the series only lasted four episodes.
In actual fact, the story that we keep seeing over and over is about the person who faces adversity and overcomes it. When we face a challenge, we change for the better. We love true stories of athletes who face racism and become superstars, as in the movie "42," the Jackie Robinson story. We love stories of people who grow up with nothing and through integrity and perseverance come out on top, as in the film, The Blind Side. We love learning how Thomas Edison was a failure in school, yet went on to become one of the greatest and most successful inventors of all time. The list goes on and on: Lucille Ball, Michael Jordan, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln.... Just the thought of these amazing people energizes us.
In contrast, there seems little interest in studying lives filled with regret. When we embrace regret, it consumes us and we live our entire lives making excuses and asking, "What if?" That may be easy to do, but is it realistic to imagine changing the past? Does it get us anywhere? Do we really want to learn more about people who live this way?
As I looked into this topic, I realized that when great people overcome challenges, they actually look back with a sense of gratitude, not regret.
In his book, Forty Thousand to One, Ben Petrick looks back on the changes that took place in his life after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 22. He had been an extremely promising young catcher in the major leagues, playing before thousands of cheering fans. After his diagnosis, he struggled in being the caretaker to his one infant daughter. Today, Petrick is a successful husband and father, author and motivational speaker. Would he want to venture on Vincent Price's Time Express train? Not on your life. He is where he needs to be, where he wants to be. He knows it and he is thankful every day.
This is the story of every person. We all face challenges, we all suffer; it is the human condition. We can allow those challenges to destroy our lives, or we can allow them to inspire us to greatness.
I would argue that we are made to overcome challenges - it is in our nature as human beings. This greatness is inside of each of us. Embrace it and you will embrace unbelievable joy and satisfaction in life.
