What do you do when life throws dirt at you?

Let me tell you a story about an ass and a hole. Once there was a donkey that fell in to an old empty well. The farmer who owns the donkey looked at the ass and tried to figure out how to get it out of there. Having thought of nothing to get the donkey out of the well, he decided to simply bury his donkey alive. So the farmer called his neighbors to shovel dirt into the well. At first the donkey got frightened and panicked. After some time the ass realized that if he shakes the dirt of his back, he can step up. He continued to shake the dirt off and step up until the well was full. I will leave to your imagination what he did to the farmer and his neighbors when he got out of the well.

Trials, problems and suffering are much part of the reality of life. Denying and running away from them will not make them disappear. Instead of being bitter about them you can use it as a tool for personal growth.

You can use dirt to your advantage or disadvantage.

Pains and sufferings in life force us to grow or mature. If taken well it can lead us to wisdom and most of all compassion. Since you have suffered much, you can more easily understand and empathize with other people who are suffering themselves. It can also bring calmness and mental stability. When problems arise you can say to yourself, “I’ve been here before, and I survived.”

St Thomas Aquinas describes wisdom as the view from the hill top. We can raise our hilltops with whatever life gives or throws at us. The good, bad and even the most painful experiences can be an opportunity for us to grow in wisdom.

With much dirt under you feet, you have a better view in life.