A test of faith at the Hanoi Hilton

Yesterday we talked about a modest Level 5 leader.
Today we’ll talk about a POW and his test of faith.
Admiral Jim Stockdale was shot down in Vietnam.
He was held eight years in the Hanoi Hilton.
He was tortured more than 20 times.
He lived day to day, believing he would see his family again.
He didn’t despair. He shouldered command.
He did everything he could to help others survive the horror.
His captors wanted to videotape him as a "well-treated prisoner."
So he slashed his face with a razor to disfigure himself.
He exchanged intelligence with his wife through their letters.
He set rules to help other prisoners deal with torture.
His communications system helped others endure their isolation
Which prisoners did not survive?
"The optimists," Stockdale said.
They said, "We’ll be out by Christmas."
But Christmas came and went.
They said, "We’ll be out by Easter."
But Easter came and went.
After a while, the optimists lost hope and gave up.
Stockdale survived with this philosophy:
You must have faith that you will prevail in the end.
Yet you must face the brutal facts of your daily reality.
With that faith, Jim Stockdale found a great purpose:
To survive his captors and see his family again.
Tomorrow we’ll take a break for some TGIF fun.
For more on your own great purpose, click here.