Why Me? A Real Life Story of the Great Arthur Ashe

Great people are not born great; they become great by their choices, behaviors, actions and attitudes. They learn and develop the qualities over time, and their attitude towards life is what makes them great. Today, I will share a real-life story of the great tennis player Arthur Ashe.

Arthur Ashe was a legendary tennis player and had a massive number of fans all around the world. He also became the number one tennis player in the world during his career. He is the only African American player to win Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon titles.

In 1983 he had to undergo a heart surgery in which he received the blood which was HIV infected. And later, he was diagnosed with AIDS. When people came to know about his condition, he received many letters from fans worldwide. One day, he received a letter saying, "Why does God have to select you for such a bad disease?" To this, Arthur Ashe replied:

Over the world,
- 50 Million children started playing Tennis,
- 5 Million learnt to play Tennis,
- 500,000 learnt Professional Tennis,
- 50 Thousand came to Circuit,
- 5 Thousand reached Grand Slam,
- 50 reached Wimbledon,
- 4 reached the Semifinals,
- 2 reached the Finals

And when I won the title and held the trophy in my hand, I never asked God, "Why me?"

So today, when I am in pain, how can I ask God, "Why me?"

What a great attitude towards life! This reply by Arthur Ashe teaches us how we shall respond to everything we receive in our life, whether good or bad.

When we are getting all the good things in our life, when we are happy with our life, we often fail to acknowledge and thank God for everything that we have in our life. But when we fail, when something bad happens, when things are not going our way, we start complaining to God about it.

Arthur Ashe's reply teaches us how to embrace and rise above the challenges we face and take full responsibility for whatever we are going through. It also teaches us to acknowledge and be grateful for all the good things we have received in our life and always have faith in God.

When you ask the question, "Why me?" in any painful situation, it takes you to a different zone and raises several other negative questions, emotions and feelings. It does not help you in any way. It just increases your pain and suffering and makes you more miserable.

So, instead, ask these questions, "How can I deal with it?", "How can I rise above it?", "How can it help me?" or "What can I make out of it?" When you ask these questions, you shift your thoughts and emotions to a different level, and you can find a way to embrace the challenges and make something good come out of it.

Events happen, and situations and circumstances arise, but how to respond to those things is entirely in our control. We always have a choice, and our attitude defines our choices. The outcome of any situation depends on our attitude towards life and our response to the situation.

Always remember, as the great Charlie Chaplin said,

Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles.

Everything changes in life; times change, and situations change. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. So, whatever life presents, embrace it and accept it gratefully. That's life.