In 1928, a young nursing student called Isabel Smith received news that would change her life.
She was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
At the time, tuberculosis was one of the most feared diseases in the world. For many people, the diagnosis was effectively a death sentence.
Isabel was sent to a sanatorium in the hope that rest and treatment would help her recover.
But months became years.
Incredibly, Isabel would spend much of the next 21 years confined to bed as she battled the disease.
Just think about that for a moment.
Twenty-one years.
How would you respond?
She Couldn’t Control What Happened
Isabel came close to death several times.
She could easily have become bitter about the life she had lost.
But although her body was restricted, she refused to allow her mind to become restricted with it.
She read avidly.
She wrote letters.
She studied geography.
She taught other patients to read and write.
At one point, she even studied atomic energy with another patient, a young physicist.
Together they organised a town hall meeting on the subject.
For long periods, Isabel couldn’t get out of bed.
But she never stopped learning, growing and contributing.
That is Mental Resilience.
It isn’t pretending that everything is wonderful when it isn’t.
It’s recognising what you cannot control and putting your energy into what you can.
She Never Stopped Dreaming
While she was ill, Isabel met a kind and gentle man who was also a patient.
She dreamed that one day they would marry and live together in a little house “under the mountains.”
When things were at their darkest, that dream gave her something to hold on to.
And in 1948, they married.
After spending so many years confined to bed, another extraordinary chapter of Isabel’s life began.
She wrote a book called Wish I Might, which was published in 1955.
Rather than writing about everything life had taken away from her, she described it as a book about all the good things life had brought her.
What a mindset.
According to accounts of her life, the book’s royalties eventually helped her realise her dream of a mountain retreat.
What’s Your Response?
Thankfully, most of us will never face anything remotely like Isabel’s experience.
But we will all face setbacks.
Illness.
Rejection.
Financial problems.
Relationship difficulties.
Career disappointments.
Things will happen that weren’t part of the plan.
When they do, we have a choice.
We can spend all our energy wishing things were different.
Or we can ask:
“Given where I am now, what can I still do?”
Isabel couldn’t control her illness.
But she could control whether she learned.
She could control whether she helped others.
She could control whether she continued dreaming.
She could control the attitude she brought to each day.
And ultimately, that changed her life.
I’ve said this countless times in my coaching and speaking:
It’s not what happens to you. It’s how you respond.
Isabel Smith’s story is an extraordinary reminder of that.
Your circumstances can limit what you can do.
They can slow you down.
They can force you to change direction.
But they don’t have to determine what’s happening inside you.
Because ultimately:
Victory is an inside job.
3 Key Learnings
1. Focus on what you can control
You may not be able to change the situation, but you can control how you respond.
2. Never stop growing
Even during the most difficult periods of our lives, we can continue learning, developing and helping others.
3. Keep something to look forward to
A goal or dream gives us direction. Isabel’s dream of her little house helped carry her through some of her darkest moments.
Thoughts for the Week
1. What am I worrying about this week that I cannot control?
2. What CAN I control that deserves more of my energy?
3. What dream or goal am I working towards that gives me something positive to look forward to?
Whatever this week brings, remember:
You may not control what happens next.
But you can control what you DO next.
Well, that’s it for this week.
Have a brilliant week ahead and keep believing in yourself.
Warm regards
John
Off the Wall https://tinyurl.com/3tvr892z
100 Days https://tinyurl.com/4vsejtur
