Find A Way Or Make One
There is a story of three men in a fishing boat who were far from the shore when a sudden storm threatened to capsize their boat. The largest and strongest in the crew was gripped with fear and said: “Let us pray!” But the older and wiser man said: “No, no, my man. Let the little man pray, you grab the oar!”
All men at times must rely on their own ability to get out of difficult situations. When nobody is around to offer the helping hand — and all aid has been exhausted — it is ingenuity and tact alone that will see him through.
This is illustrated in the story of Zhuge Liang who, in 1639 was cornered in a town with nothing but certain death as the option, but used his wits and ingenuity to get himself and his men out alive. During the War of the Three Kingdoms in 1639, he was in a town with a consort of 100 soldiers while the rest of his army was garrisoned several miles away. While in the town, Zhuge was informed of a large army approaching the town, with what looked like well over a hundred thousand men.
The General of this army was Sima Yi, a well experienced war veteran who had encountered Zhuge on several occasions and from the many skirmishes that they had. Sima was now well accustomed to Zhuge’s clever ways. Thus when Sima approached this time, he decided to take no chances and brought as many soldiers as he could; he would capture Zhuge once and for all.
When Zhuge’s consort saw the approaching army, they panicked. But Zhuge, who was never short of stratagems, ordered them all to go into hiding, and commanded that the city gates be left wide open. He then requested a lute and climbed on top of the city walls next to the gate and leaned against the wall — positioning himself in such a way that the approaching army could see him from a distance. He then proceeded to calmly string a solo on the lute.
The massive approaching army halted under Sima Yi’s orders. Sima Yi then proceeded to study Zhuge’s manner intently while he continued to play his lute, seemingly oblivious to the army. Sima Yi had fallen victim to many a Zhuge-led ambush before, and did not wish to take any chances this time. After several minutes of studying the situation: Observing the wide open city gates; The inviting melody by the opposing General on the wall; The lack of any city defenses, and the absence of armed soldiers — he ordered a hasty retreat. Sima Yi was convinced this was a trap he could not yet comprehend. The large 100 thousand man army pulled back from Zhuge and his musical instrument.
“We have been among you several weeks,” said Columbus to the Indian chiefs, who had now grown weary of their lengthy occupation, “and, although at first you treated us like friends, you are now jealous of us and are trying to drive us away. You brought us food in plenty every morning, but now you bring very little and the amount is less with each succeeding day.” Columbus knew that there was to be a solar eclipse of the sun in seven days, and told them the exact day and hour in which it would occur. “The Great Spirit is angry with you,” he proclaimed, “for not doing as you agreed in bringing us provisions. To show his anger, he will cause the sun to be in darkness.” The Indians did not believe him, and continued to reduce their supply of rations. On the appointed day, the sun rose without a cloud in the sky and the Indians shook their heads, beginning to show signs of open hostility to the settlers as the hours passed by without a shadow on the face of the sun. But around noon, a dark spot was seen on one side of the Sun; and, as it became larger and larger, taking up a third of the sun, the natives began to panic; They fell prostrate before Columbus and entreated his help and forgiveness. Columbus said he would pray, and stoically retired to his tent, promising to save them all only if the Great Spirit was willing. About the time for the eclipse to pass away, he came out and said that the Great Spirit had heard their prayers and would pardon their transgression by driving away the monster from eating the sun, But only on one condition: That they never offend his messenger, Columbus again. They promised in earnest, and when the shadow had passed away from the sun, they leaped and danced and sang for joy. The Spaniards had all the provisions they needed for the remainder of their occupation that year.
To find a way or make one was the solution of the Carthaginian general Hannibal, when his generals told him it was impossible to cross the Alps by elephant. In 218 BC, the 28-year old Hannibal, his 30,000 soldiers, 37 African battle elephants and 15,000 horses, marched right onto the impossible route, and conquered it, conducting a military ambush against the Romans that was unprecedented in the history of ancient warfare. On another occasion, when King Eumenes set sail for Hannibal in Bithynia, he set arrived with a huge fleet with the aim of capturing Hannibal once and for all. The Bythinian fleet was so heavily outnumbered that the odds were impossible against them in open sea combat. Realizing his disadvantage, Hannibal met with the leadership and they devised an ingenious strategy; Have the soldiers collect as many snakes as they could and put them in clay jars and seal them. Once the battle began, Hannibal’s ships launched the jars at the enemy. When Eumenes’s army saw the the projectiles, they laughed — thinking it was a last-ditch effort of a depleted army. But when the jars fell and broke on the decks, they quickly stopped laughing — for thousands of venomous snakes slithered about. They quickly retreated and the ones that straggled behind had to fight off both the snakes and shield against the barrage of arrows raining down. It was an astounding victory for Hannibal and the Bythinians.
Read more in my new book! The Trials And Triumphs of Hyperachievers
