Prior to the start of World War II, Prime Minister Baldwin snubbed Winston Churchill, appointing Sir Thomas Inskip to the position of Minister for the Coordination of Defense. To most others, Churchill had been the obvious choice for that position. At that time Mr. Baldwin was intent on destroying Churchill ‘s career. He was sure that he had succeeded.
So was Churchill.
As it turned out Churchill’s sideline from the government during that period protected him from the political retribution that occurred later when the extreme pacifists that had facilitated the aggression of Nazi Germany were held to account. As a result, Churchill rose to the position of Prime Minister and led England in the war against Nazi Germany.
A critical lesson of this story is that despite Churchill’s perception of the snub as a ruinous event, in the long run it turned out to be a blessing for him and his country.
This can be a valuable lesson for all of us. The “adverse” events that occur in our lives such as a car accident, a lost promotion, or divorce, might seem devastating. Yet, none of us can predict how those events will influence outcomes in the long term.
Since we don’t know what life has in store for us in the long term, we would be wise to evaluate the impact of such events with a measure of objectivity, acknowledging to ourselves that we can’t predict the future. Even the seemingly most devastating events can produce positive outcomes that we can’t foresee from our limited vantage point.
So, if you hit hard times and it seems like you’ve received a devastating blow, take heart, you may yet emerge a victor.
“[Baldwin] thought, no doubt, that he had dealt me a politically fatal stroke, and I felt he might well be right. How little do we foresee the consequences either of wise or unwise action, of virtue or of malice!”
Winston Churchill, The Gathering Storm.
The very best to you.