The human spirit is a metaphor to some and a reality for others. The human spirit is a combination of hope, will, perseverance, and strength. The human spirit can be one of the most powerful things in the world if used correctly and by the right people. A human spirit can be put through trial after hurdle after trial and, although scathed, it will persevere.
The human spirit is very resilient, I can be broken but not easily. Here is an example of one such story. Ildefonce Mungemanganga had been attacked, murderously beaten and left for dead. His attackers had tried to decapitate him, and they had very nearly succeeded. Instead of a neck, there was a gaping abyss, his lungs visible through the opening and his trachea severed. He was still able to breathe because his trachea was exposed through the hole between his head and his chest, allowing oxygen to flow into his lungs. However, even that would not have been enough to keep him alive had the machete penetrated a millimeter deeper: as it was, it had missed his two vital carotid arteries. His face, too, was mutilated: the entire face smashed in. (White 1).
This is one of the experiences in this vignette about the resilience of the human spirit. This whole vignette is about the Rwandan Genocide of April 1994 in which 800,000 people died for not being the same tribe as the population. The Tutsi (slaughtered people) and the Hutu have had ethnic competition and control disputes for as long as they have been around and the Hutu gained power in the rebellions in the 60’s. Once the Hutu gained power, as is common in these cases, the Tutsi were the minority and were discriminated against. A group of Tutsi refugees attacked Northern Rwanda in an attempt to regain control of the territory...
... middle of paper ...
... plane crash ended up stranded at sea. “A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain. Louie thought: Let go” (Hillenbrand 29). That quote pretty much summarizes, in a different way, what has been said repeatedly throughout this article. The fact that you can move on from things because they are temporary.
The human spirit is stronger than anything I have ever seen or felt. It can feel such a varied amount of pain, goodness, love, betrayal, hurt, and disappointment that it is hard to fathom. It can incite change and reform in many different situations as we have seen throughout the different examples. Throughout this report many trials have been reported such as a young rebel turned hero stranded in the middle of an ocean, all the way to unnecessary rape and murder. All of these things can be overcome with perseverance and hope. Hope is sometimes all that we need.
book remains a true testimony to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.
A human being is a complicated entity of a contradictory nature where creative and destructive, virtuous and vicious are interwoven. Each of us has gone through various kinds of struggle at least once in a lifetime ranging from everyday discrepancies to worldwide catastrophes. There are always different causes and reasons that trigger these struggles, however, there is common ground for them as well: people are different, even though it is a truism no one seems to able to realize this statement from beyond the bounds of one’s self and reach out to approach the Other.
In her book, Immaculée Ilibagiza shares the power of faith in God through her moving experience of the Rwandan genocide. God saved her life for a reason. “He left me to tell my story to others and show as many people as possible the leading power of his Love and Forgiveness” (208-09). Her book proves that “with God all things are possible”. Her objective is not to give a historical account of Rwanda and/or of the genocide. She gives her own story. She attests that through God’s help, forgiveness is possible – even to those who killed her parents. Her book is meant to help people to let go of the chains of hatred and anger, and be able to truly live in God who is love. Left to Tell is a breathtaking book that proves the fact that “the love of a single heart can make a world of difference” (210). The book is divided into three parts, and each part into eight chapters. The author recounts how God saved her from the shadows of death and helped her discover who He really Is.
Psychologists usually agree that the teenage years are among the most difficult periods in one’s life. Most teens are trying to figure who they are, what they believe, and how they fit into the world around them. Beginning in the late 1970’s, a whole genre of fiction, referred to as coming-of- age literature, emerged and serves, at least for many teens, as believable presentations of young people learning to navigate the difficulties of their lives, often fraught with feelings of rejection, seemingly unresolvable personal turmoil, social problems, school and family issues, etc. Indeed one value of reading is to see and better understand some aspects of ourselves through studying others. The reading of SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book because of its subject matter – rape--, is a worthwhile endeavor in any middle school classroom and offers many valuable life lessons to young teens.
Throughout human history one has seen horrible atrocities and insightful tragedies, one has seen determined, figures of hope and brutal ends. Somehow, mankind has continuously found a way to mess up time and time again, to slaughter its own kind, to discriminate against a slight difference, to determine one's life without repercussions. Yet, despite all these unjust mistakes humanity has evoked, in the roughest of times humanity has always banded together to eradicate the wrong. With time there is prevailance, a joined society, forgiving the death and injustice that once torn it apart. We accept and learn from the mistakes of the past in order to move forward. This concept brings me to the theme that one’s ambition and ability to endure pain,
Echterling, Presbury and McKee (2005) define crisis as a turning point in one’s life that is brief, but a crucial time in which, there is opportunity for dramatic growth and positive changes, as well as the danger of violence and devastation. They further state that whatever the outcome, people do not emerge from a crisis unchanged; if there is a negative resolution, the crisis can leave alienation, bitterness, devastated relationships and even death in its wake; on the other hand, if the crisis is resolved successfully a survivor can develop a deeper appreciation for life, a stronger sense of resolve, a mature perspective, greater feelings of competence, and richer relationships.
Around the world, many people are faced with adversities and constant obstacles in their life that they will have to overcome. People often have to face adversities such as death, poverty, illness, disabilities, and environmental issues on a daily. Many people can overcome the adversities they are faced with, while others may struggle and need help overcoming their situation. Never the less if a person fails or succeeds in their attempt of overcoming their situation, this is still a part of their resilience.
Africa has been an interesting location of conflicts. From the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea to the revolutionary conflict in Libya and Egypt, one of the greatest conflicts is the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide included two tribes in Rwanda: Tutsis and Hutus. Upon revenge, the Hutus massacred many Tutsis and other Hutus that supported the Tutsis. This gruesome war lasted for a 100 days. Up to this date, there have been many devastating effects on Rwanda and the global community. In addition, many people have not had many acknowledgements for the genocide but from this genocide many lessons have been learned around the world.
When the Rwandan Hutu majority betrayed the Tutsi minority, a destructive mass murdering broke out where neighbor turned on neighbor and teachers killed their students; this was the start of a genocide. In this paper I will tell you about the horrors the people of Rwanda had to face while genocide destroyed their homes, and I will also tell you about the mental trauma they still face today.
The first thing one must discuss in spirituality and resilience is that spirituality is different from being religious. Religion is general traditional and organized while spirituality is how a person essential relates to their higher power. There is much debate on which will help you have more resilience and how you cope with different trauma or stressors. While still others feel that religion and spiritual resilience go hand in hand.
According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is the process of adjusting enough in the presence of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or major sources of stress such as financial and workplace problems, family/ relationship problems, and severe health problems or workplace and financial stressors (American Psychological Association, 2013).
In her memoir Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, Immaculée Ilibagiza endures horrific tragedies as everyone around her is viciously killed by Hutus during Rwanda’s genocide. In the course of just three months she loses almost everyone that she loves except her oldest brother, Aimable. However, despite everything that she goes through, Immaculée forgives the Hutus that wronged her and changed her life forever. Immaculée did not forgive for the good of others but rather for herself. It would do her no good to hold on to her negative feelings for the rest of her life as they would continue to eat at her. With the help of her extreme devotion to God she was able to let go and move on with her life, but without forgetting what had happened to her, her family, and many of the people that were close to her. Without her love for God, she would not have survived living in the bathroom for so long. It was very hard for her to forgive those that trespassed against her, and almost unimaginable to readers that she had the ability to do so, but it was the right thing for her to do.
As famed poet Maya Angelou once said, "It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive" (Angelou). Forgiveness is the decision to release any anger or blame towards a person or thing and let go, seemingly an easy task, but many people find it impossibly hard to do. In the aftermath of the devastating genocide in Rwanda, the most powerful step towards healing the nation was the forgiveness fostered by survivors. It was this strong belief that began to spread through Rwanda and brought people peace and acceptance. In Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza, Immaculée discovers forgiveness in her life, and begins to let go of the horrifying deeds that the Hutus committed against the Tutsis in order to move on and grow as a person, helping both herself and the killers move on.
Resilience is the ability to cope with change. The resilience has long been touted as a essential capability for bouncing back from leadership setbacks. Resilience is not easily attainable in today’s ever-changing business environment. The faith that there will be an immediate solution when it’s not immediately evident, and the tenacity to carry-on despite a nagging gut feeling that the situation is hopeless; it requires courage to achieve such high level of success in one’s career. A strong leader tries to keep away frequent setbacks and new challenges in face of uncertainty. The practical knowledge that he/she gains through this learning experience guide the organization through difficult times.
Whoever you’ve lost, whatever heartbreak you are going through, just know that you are not