Last night I watched the movie Invictus for the first time.

For those that do not know it, it's basically the story of how the South African nation was unified through the 1995 rugby world cup. In the movie, Nelson Mandela, played by Morgan Freeman, shares a poem that he used to read whilst a prisoner on Robben Island.

The poem is Invictus by William Henley. It is one of the most searched and read poems on the internet. When you read the words, it's not hard to understand why.

Even listening to the opening lines can fill you with courage and belief. As Henley writes: Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

And that's the secret. We are an unconquerable soul.

Despite all of the circumstances we encounter through our lives, and no matter how much of a victim you may think you are. The essence of your life lies in your ability to believe that you are indestructible.

Not physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The truth is we are fragile as a physical being. We are however, powerful beyond the physical.

If you only govern your life on the level of the physical, you immediately become controlled by that. Your decisions and your outlook on life will be limited if you ignore your emotional and spiritual growth.

Now before you go all "whoa this is deep stuff" on me. Let me share why I think we all need to pay attention to the Invictus poem.

We all know that the world has gone through some crazy changes in the past few years. It's not something completely new, and it certainly will happen again.

Whether it's a financial crisis, or an environmental threat, something is always bound to challenge us physically. The problem is that we don’t always react effectively to these changes.

Our tendencies are sometimes rooted in the almost instinctive fight or flight reaction. When things go bad, some people run for the hills. Or batten down the hatches, trying to protect what they have.

This is a common "wait and see" approach. It creates no opportunity and relies on our circumstances returning to normal. Which we all know doesn't often happen.

Other people fly in the face of the danger, but almost to the point of being recklessly brave. Whilst this looks courageous, it can lead to an emotional roller coaster ride that maybe you weren't really prepared for.

In either of these approaches you are still being controlled by the circumstances. If you're only happy when things go well, you are being half of what you are capable of.

We all need to learn to control our happiness. And true happiness comes from controlling your inner spirit.

Think of this in the working world. And let's be more specific. Think of it when you are applying for a job.

Maybe you believe all the circumstances are stacked against you. You'd be forgiven for thinking this in our current job market that seems to have shrunk considerably.

But as Henry Ford said, whether you think you can or can't, you're right. You see it all starts with your belief. Are circumstances going to defeat you? Or will your soul be unconquerable?

Sometimes there is nothing you can do about the size of the challenge in front of you. But you can control your reaction to it.

I've been there, believe me. When everything around me pointed to failure, and when people close to me began to doubt, I learned to never let myself down. Start there.

As Henley closes his poem, listen carefully to what your own spirit is saying. "...I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."

Who is in charge of your happiness? Who is the captain of your soul? When you need it most, whether you're looking for a job, or dealing with a tough challenge, grab a copy of Invictus and remind yourself of the message.

After all, if Madiba used it, so can you.

Stay in charge of your happiness

Circumstances do not control you. Stay in charge of yourself.

Your happiness lies in your spirit, keep feeding this.

Making a life decision should be based on all the levels of body mind and spirit, not just the physical.

When you think the challenge is too big, remember your soul is unconquerable. Nothing is impossible.

Tough circumstances are temporary. Happiness is your natural state. Focus on this, and your circumstances will turn around.

JOHN MULLINS

Visit John’s websites for more, www.daredreamdone.com, or www.johnmullins.co.za
Or contact him on his email address, john@johnmullins.co.za