By Joe Wuest
“The opinions expressed by the Tabor College EML student bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Tabor College. Tabor College is also not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information in the post.”
I recently had the opportunity to read Malcolm Gladwell’s book, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. If you have not had the opportunity to read it, I suggest you do. Gladwell helps us look at our disadvantages in a new light, one that can turn our thinking upside down.
When I reflect on my life, I can see God’s hand in it. My early childhood upbringing was filled with poverty, pain, and the loss of a parent. I grew up with five other siblings in the house. Each of us had to overcome the obstacles that were brought upon us and out of our control (foster care, abandonment, etc). One would not need to dig very deep to find statistics that demonstrate how this type of upbringing can lead to drugs, violence, and imprisonment. Yet, it was those early obstacles that propelled us to where we are today.
As I write this post, Facebook is reminding me that today is “National Siblings Day.” I am very proud of each one of my siblings and I love them dearly. Each one has overcome so much and are succeeding in the various areas in life they have put their heart to. But one of my siblings, Alex, has stormed through the negative narrative others tried to write upon his life.
You see, Alex was very hyper growing up and he had many learning disabilities that prevented him from doing well in school. He was in and out of the Principal’s office for behavior issues. To make matters worse, many of his teachers failed him. They did not see the misbehaving kid with a speech impediment as someone who was worth their time or effort. His high school years were much worse and the day he graduated, many of us considered it a miracle.
As I relentlessly pursued Alex to attend Tabor College, he had others telling him he was not worthy of a college education. He had a guidance counselor try to discourage him from applying, telling him he would drop out and never be able to handle the rigors of academia. Alex had many disadvantages. He could have listened to the world tell him he was no good. He could have listed to “experts” and decide to stay in his home town and work on a trade.
As Gladwell reminds us, there are advantages to disadvantages. There is a certain level of difficulty that is desirable. “The idea of desirable difficulty suggest that not all difficulties are negative.” On May 14th, I will be walking on the stage at Tabor and receiving my Masters degree in Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership. This is a great achievement for me. But the greater achievement will be what happens a day later. This is when Alex will earn a Masters in Higher Education Management. None of this would have been possible if not for God, his loving wife, Emily, and the perseverance it took to overcome a giant.
Gladwell, Malcolm David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants . Back Bay Books, 2015. 132, Kindle Version.
“The opinions expressed by the Tabor College EML student bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Tabor College. Tabor College is also not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information in the post.”