Peaks and Valleys

On Sunday my dad shared with me a touching story. He has been a car salesman all his life and when he used to work for Dunham's, a Cadillac dealer in Eugene, he had a coworker and friend named Ernie (or was his name Arnie, or Bernie?). Ernie had been married for 30+ years and unexpectedly and tragically lost his wife. Yet Ernie's ability to remain optimistic and carry on despite his loss was inspiring. During a managerial meeting one morning, the salesmen were writing down goals and sharing how they stay grounded in what can be uncertain times, especially in the car business. Ernie shared the following:

Life is like a mountain. The trick to survival is knowing that for every summit you stand on top of, there's a valley down below. And for every valley you are in, there's a summit up above. When you stand in those peaks or valleys, just reminder that times will get better and only a step up or down in either direction can help a lot.

Thanks dad, I needed that. And thanks Ernie for having such a good impact on people that it inspires them to share it 20 years after you said it.