Elisabeth Fayt, Author of Paving It Forward
I’ve made it a new ritual to spend Saturday mornings with my sister and my mother who’s 81. We sit around my mom’s kitchen table and talk about the world. Our last visit was so inspiring I had to share it.
My sister is the Principal of a large K-9 school and every year the District holds an annual Faith Day. This year it was held at each school, due to Covid, so my sister led her team of 55 staff through a day of inspiration. In one of her talks, she relayed a personal story of a time when she had called me for advice (which we do for each other). Instead of sympathizing with her pain, I called her out on what I thought was a “woe’s me” attitude. Although I could tell she wasn’t happy with my response, I advised her to turn her attention to the lesson and the gift of that lesson.
Once she realized what was happening in our conversation, she had an epiphany, which she shared with her team on that day. It was this: Life doesn’t present us with TESTS, it presents us with an INVITATION.
She went on to teach her team that sometimes in life we get caught up in a tornado, where we feel like we’re spinning. When we’re able to pass through the test and get outside of the tornado, we can look back and realize “Hey, I was in that!”
When we’re in it, we can’t think clearly.
So here’s the thing. We all have challenges. We can choose to gripe to others about them, and stay in the tornado. Or we can choose to step out, by viewing them as an INVITATION: to learn, grow and connect; to become stronger, wiser and better.
I’m so proud of my sister. Every day, she inspires others to be the best they can be. I hope that by sharing this I am able to do the same. So let me leave you with something to ponder. What has been your most recent challenge? What could it inspire you to do or become? Think of even the little daily challenges you have, and turn them into invitations. And if someone comes to you, beaten down from life…invite them to do the same!
