by Highly sensitive people especially love underdog stories. The ones where against all odds the underdog triumphs. And it isn’t easy. In fact, it’s really, really hard. Of course it is. That’s why it’s an underdog story.
An underdog is defined in Google definitions as “a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or a contest,” and as “a person who has little status in society.” Synonyms are “long shot” and “dark horse.”
We love underdog stories because they are full of emotion, and empaths welcome the opportunity to travel with the underdog and their emotions. The tales can captivate us like no others, and we can let all of our empathy loose freely. It is a cathartic process. With a happy ending.
We all have our favorite underdogs. We see them in sports, in music, in history, in science, in myths, in fiction, and sometimes in our own families. Popular culture and the rise of films and social media have made underdog stories accessible to the general public world wide. We know the famous underdogs who have risen from poverty or prejudice or historical conflict. Their stories captivate us. They bear repeating again and again. They give us hope on a grander scale.
What underdog stories speak to you? Why? How do they give you hope? How do they encourage you to follow your own unique path….despite the odds? Watch films about them. Read stories of inspiration about them. Let your emotions experience their turmoil and triumph. You may see an amplified version of what you are experiencing in your life. Draw strength from them. What did they face that you are also facing? What drove them to continue chasing their dreams despite many roadblocks? And why is their story showing up in your life right now?
I’ll leave you with an inspiring quote from a famous underdog. It is taped to my refrigerator. “You are a composite of all the things you believe, and all the places you believe you can go. Your past does not define you. You can step out of your history and create a new day for yourself. Even if the entire culture is saying, ‘You can’t.’ Even if every single bad thing that can happen to you does. You can keep going forward.” – Oprah Winfrey….living proof.
