“Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it, and you’ll start believing in it.” -Jesse Owens
There was an African king who had a best friend whom he kept close to him. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that occurred in his life as positive, and he would often say, “This is good!” Because of this, the king took his friend with him wherever he went.
One day, the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend loaded the rifle for the king, and when the king fired it, it backfired and blew off his thumb.
The friend, as usual, said, “This is good!” to which the king replied, “No, this is NOT good!” and angrily sent his friend to jail.
All the way to jail, the friend said, “This is good.” Once in jail, every day, the friend continued to say, “This is good.” The other people in jail would reply, “You’re crazy. Your best friend threw you in jail. This isn’t good.” But the friend would smile and again say, “This is good.”
A year and a half passed, and the friend was still in jail. In the meantime, the king goes on another hunting party, and they are captured by a band of cannibals. The cannibals began to kill and eat the hunting party one by one.
However, the cannibals were extremely superstitious and would not kill or eat anything that wasn’t whole. When they got to the king and saw he was missing a thumb, they immediately let him go.
The king rushed to the jail where his friend was imprisoned, got on his knees and said, “Please forgive me. You saved my life! Thank you, thank you.” To which his friend replied, “This is good!”
“Yes, this is good for me, but I’ve wasted a year and a half of your life. I am so sorry,” replied the king. “No,” his friend explained, “This is good for me too!”
“What do you mean?” asked the king. “How is it good that I sent you to jail for over a year?”
“If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you and killed by the cannibals.” -African folktale
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While the story may be more dramatic than what most of us face day to day, it highlights a powerful truth: we always have the ability to choose our perspective. We can either let challenges weigh us down—or use them as a springboard toward something better.
When something frustrating happens and complete the sentence: “This is good because…” Look for the opportunity, lesson, or growth.
Examples:
- “This is good because I have more time to prepare.”
- “This is good because I’m learning patience.”
- “This is good because I am learning new positions/roles.”
- “This is good because it will make me better in the long run.”
Reinforce it:
Say your new perspective out loud—into a mirror, daily, before a big meeting, or anytime frustration creeps in. Repeat it until it feels real.
***BONUS***
Pick up a copy of “This is Good: A Journey on Overcoming Adversity” to see the impact this story had on a collegiate soccer team OR check out the This is Good gear to help remind you every day to find the This is Good.
https://tamimatheny.com/product/this–is–good–ajourney–on–overcoming–adversity/ OR