There is a passage from "For Today And Tomorrow" that I would like to share:
Whether we regard difficulties in life as misfortunes or whether we view them as good fortune depends entirely on how much we have forged our inner determination. It all depends on our attitude or inner state of life. With a dauntless spirit, we can lead a cheerful and thoroughly enjoyable life. We can develop a "self" of such fortitude that we can look forward to life's trials and tribulations with a sense of profound elation and joy: "Come on obstacles! I've been expecting you! This is the opportunity I've been waiting for!" (Daisaku Ikeda, For Today And Tomorrow, p.327)
Though I find myself facing doubts a lot of the time, this guidance has encouraged me greatly from the first time I read it. Speaking personally, it is easy to get down on myself over minor issues. Hearing this just blows it all out of the water, though. All of this stuff coming out of my life that is driving me mad is actually, potentially, a source of joy? My problems aren't even all that big, but this seems crazy a lot of the time. When I do make a determination with this spirit, though, I can immediately see the difference. Every aspect of my life seems to move forward, whatever the outward appearance may be. I know that this must be the effort to share the same spirit as my mentor.
Tom Miller, Ravenna Vice Chapter Young Men's Leader
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