Is There A Catfish In Your Tank?
One of life’s most important lessons on how to handle those who oppose you.
I’m constantly reminded, as I involve myself more and more with humanity, that we are not perfect. Some people and situations bring out the best us in, while others seem to bring out the worst.
But if we are persistent, if we learn from our mistakes, if we push through, in spite of our struggles or setbacks, we will not just survive, we will win!
Winning is our true identity. Struggle is just the path to get there.
Take to heart from this lesson about the Catfish and Cod as you navigate your way through your day today.
At the turn of the century cod fish were in much demand on the east coast. News of the tasty fish quickly spread across the country all the way to the west coast. There was however a problem. How could they get the cod fish across the country and still keep it fresh?
They tried to freeze the fish and send it by rail, the fastest means at the time. But when it was prepared it turned out to be very mushy and lacked flavor.
Then someone decided to ship the fish live turning railroad cars into huge saltwater aquariums. When the cod fish arrived they were alive but when they were prepared they were still mushy and tasteless.
After studying the cod fish someone discovered that their natural enemy was the catfish. This time when the cod fish were put in the tanks, they placed a few catfish in with them. Those catfish chased the cod fish all the way across the country to the west coast.
This time when the cod fish were prepared, they were flaky and had the same flavor as they did when they were caught fresh and prepared on the east coast. You see, the catfish kept the cod from becoming stale.
Life Puts Catfish In Our Tank On Purpose
As we progress through life, Life will make sure we have plenty of ‘catfish’ in our ‘tank.’ Our catfish may come in the form of a bully, a teacher or coach we don’t like, or another person we don’t get along with. It may come in the form of a dysfunction or attitudinal challenge within our own soul.
Sometimes our catfish can be a setback or disappointment, even a catastrophic failure in business or some other major area of life. But regardless of what form our catfish comes in, it’s main purpose is not to destroy us, but to define and refine us — to keep us from becoming stale.
No game would be a game without an opponent. And in life, as well as on the field, our opponent, our catfish, is there for one purpose only: to make us better, stronger, and wiser. To keep us from becoming stale and tasteless, so that when we reach our final destination we will not disappoint those whom we were meant for.
The only way the cod fish wouldn’t have survived the trip, all the way across country with their natural enemy in their tank, was to give up. And the only way you and I will not survive our encounters with our own catfish, as we make our way through life, is to give up. If there is one thing I refuse to do in the short period of time I have here on this earth called Life, is to give up!
Don’t Wish For Easy
Don’t wish things were easier, wish you were better, and if it’s hard then go do it hard. And remember, if you wake up today to discover a catfish in your tank, don’t panic; just keep doing what you do best. It’s there on an assignment to keep you from becoming stale.
