Louis Zamperini was a US Olympic distance runner, who competed in the 5000 meters in the 1936 Berlin Olympic games. On its own merit, a memorable accomplishment.

But this isn’t what Mr. Zamperini is known for.

After the Olympics, Louie was attending USC when his education was interrupted by World War II.  He promptly enlisted in the US Navy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant…assigned to a B-24 bomber crew.

In May of 1943, while flying a search and rescue mission, his plane was shot down in the Pacific ocean.

Louie and two others floated for 47 days surviving on captured rain water, some birds that landed on them and small fish.  (I mean…how do you just ‘eat’ a bird that lands on you?)  

They survived constant shark attacks, the death of one of their own, and machine gun fire from enemy planes passing overhead.

Then things got tough.

Louie and the other survivor (Russell Phillips) reached land in the Marshal Islands, and were immediately captured by the Japanese Navy.  For the next 2 years, Louie (and others of course) were held captive, severely beaten and otherwise tortured until the end of the war.

Louie came home to a hero’s welcome.

But…

Can you imagine the strength it took to survive those years?

Can you imagine living in those conditions?

Can you imagine what it would be like to return to the ‘real world’?

WTF. WTF. WTF.

And what on this earth could ever possibly ‘shake’ Louie, from that moment forward?

Here’s the answer:  Only one thing…his past.

While every challenge in front of him paled in comparison to what he’d already been through, the one thing that held Louie back was his past. He couldn’t stop having nightmares about his captors. Specifically, about strangling his captors.

And ultimately, the thing that set him free was…forgiveness.  He had to forgive his captors in order to move forward. And he did. With the help of some great mentors and spiritual leaders.

By forgiving those in his past, Louie was able to focus forward.  But he didn’t have to leave that past completely behind him.  He was able to bring with that focus, the powerful lessons that he’d learned.  The resolve he’d forged.  The courage he’d found.

Louie was able to turn his struggles into a kick-ass life of 97 years.

Now I don’t believe that any of us can imagine these types of struggle.  And I’m certainly not comparing Louie’s process to my own.   But sometimes it takes this kind of perspective to see the lessons jump off the page.

It takes stories like these to bring what are often considered cliches…to life.

We all know that that which holds us back is most often behind us.

We all know that to become grateful, all we need to do is take a look at those less fortunate.

We all know that to become our best selves, we simply need to make the decision.

Louie had no choice but to decide to live and fight and survive. But we have infinite choice.  Which in some ways, makes it more difficult.

This morning I’m thinking of the progress I’m making on my own goals.  What’s holding me back?

No shark attacks.  No machine gun fire.  No torture.

Just me and my cushy life. 

Who shall I tell my excuses to? Louie?

“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time’, is to say ‘I don’t want to’.” – Lao Tzu

I can do better.

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