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Wisdom born from tragedy

Never say something that will not stand as the last thing you will ever say to someone.

A powerful statement.

What would make a person make an agreement like this?

Wisdom born from tragedy.

Imagine a 15 year old girl travelling in a train towards Auschwitz with her 8 year old brother. Her parents have been lost to the war, and she fears for her life and for that of her brother.

On arrival, the passengers are herded onto the platform and in the crush, she realises that her brother has lost his shoes. Dismayed and thoroughly annoyed, she gives him a sound verbal dressing down. ' How can you lose your shoes. You are so stupid.'

And then they are separated, the sister and the brother, and that is the last time they see each other. The brother is lost to the war, and the sister, for the rest of her life, holds on her heart the last words she spoke to her darling brother.

On walking out of Auschwitz, makes the commitment:

I will never say something that will not stand as the last thing I say to someone.

This is truly wisdom born from tradegy. 

It is a powerful human who can transmute a negative experience into a positive principle to guide life direction and action.

We all have stories about situations - personal challenges - that we have used to inspire us to be more authentically human.

And as you read this, I trust that you are able to transmute your challenges and stand tall in the opportunity to be more of who you truly are. 

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