Inspiration Found!

So this post is a little late as I read the book I'm gonna talk about awhile back but it was really good and I wanted to talk about it. =) Of course, not all the details are as clear now but the intensity of feeling this book brought forth is!


I read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, for the book club I participate in with my co-workers. Unbroken is not necessarily a book I would have picked up left to my own devices...but I'm so glad that I did read it. Here's why:


I have long held the belief that a positive attitude...being a glass half full kinda person has a big impact on your life, both inwardly and outwardly. (Not that I'm always sunshine and rainbows =) I had this belief reinforced when my grandfathers were sick with cancer..one of my grandfathers lasted longer (despite the cancer being further advanced) because his overall attitude about life was more postitive. But never have I seen a more shining example of this belief than in Louis Zamperini's story!


First of all, in my opinion, Louie was lucky to survive past 10. If I'd been his mother, I'd probably have killed him before then! The things this boy got into and did...ugh! His poor mom. =) But apparently Louie was meant for bigger things. Although, it seemed Louie's whole life revolved around doing outrageous things either for the thrill or to meet girls! Once he got into high school, his older brother had figured him out. He theorized that poor Louie had never had all his "energy" properly channeled and so got Louie involved in running track. 


Louie went from a kid who was always running from the law or an irate victim to running in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He was also set to break a world record for running the mile. When World War II broke out, Louie became a bombadier and saw much combat. And in one fateful mission, he, the plane, and his crew mates went down in the Pacific Ocean. For 46 days, Louie survived being afloat on a life raft...fighting exhaustion, dehydration, hunger, shark attacks...not to mention being shot at by Japanese planes. He and his pilot Phil, survived to land on an island that was Japanese occupied. From there Louie endured the hell of being a prisoner of war...where everything imaginable was done to him to break his spirit, his body and his mind. But Louie refused to be broken. Louie proved to be resilient in life and in his faith and I found this book to be so awe inspiring on so many levels. 


I like to think of myself as a positive person; however, I'm not so sure I would have the strength of character to survive all the Louie did. But his story is truly inspirational and completely reinforced my belief in the power of positive thinking. I hope you'll read it...and that you'll agree.