Success stories don’t do it for me. There are far too many of them, and far too many people selling their secrets to it. The most pretentious pitch THE secret, as if to suggest an unchallengeable universal and primal constant that few may possess.
I’d rather be inspired by a resurgence story. Tell me about those who’ve ascended in some way, only to find themselves having lost all they gained. Tell me about how they stayed in the game and kept moving forward despite of the loss. Tell me about how they kept their integrity when temptations to take short cuts were rampant. Tell me about how they continued to pour into other’s lives despite their own needs.
Better still, tell me about those with whom their elevation doesn’t matter: Who aren’t concerned with how others assess their success. Whose joy is not dependent on how much is in their bank account. Who live consistent, faithful lives and inspire others to do so too.
These are the true heroes in my book. They’ve mastered a different secret; the “secret of contentment” (Philippians 4:12) and their lives are a testimony to its power.
That’s the secret I want to learn.
Do you have any heroes like that in your life?