Have you heard the expression, “you can’t polish a turd”? For the most part it’s true. If the raw material is shit, you can’t dress it up and sell it as a flower. We, all of us, are at a crossroads where we can take steps to improve our raw material. We have the opportunity to improve the stuff we are made of so that we can be better for ourselves, our families, and our communities. They say “Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” In these days of pandemics and quarantines we see people’s true characters are being revealed. We see who are diamonds and who are turds. Let us all seek to take some time to ourselves and turn our characters into diamonds. We cannot simply dress up our shitty selves and try to pass it off as a better version. We must endeavor to go back into the cave and meditate and reflect and shed our turd skins for new shiny coats.
How do we do it? Some people are called into action now to do their jobs despite risk to their health. They are showing their good character. Bravo! To them. Keep it up. Other people are staying home and washing their hands and taking steps to flatten the curve. Cheers, to them as well. On top of that we can make choices that will make us stronger. We can eat better. We can exercise more. We can sleep and meditate. We can read and study. We can create music and art. We can be of service to our neighbors. That and more. You must, in this time of self isolation and self reflection, choose adversity. Do hard things to build your character. Undertake projects that scare you. Go into your cave and face the darkest fears. If we do not do this, if we fail to use this time to better ourselves, we will return to our world softer, weaker, more selfish, more afraid, in short, we will be turds.
“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team,’ but there’s a ‘U’ in ‘Turd.’” – Joe Alexander