Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Meek (07/18/24)
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TITLE: Beneath the Surface | Previous Challenge Entry
By Corinne Smelker
07/25/24 -
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“Eleanor, can you believe this client?” Mark, her harried coworker, burst into her office, a storm cloud of frustration. “He’s impossible!”
Eleanor nodded calmly. “I know, Mark. Let’s try to stay focused on finding a solution.”
Mark exhaled sharply. “You’re too easygoing,” he said, more to himself than to her.
Eleanor smiled gently. “Easygoing isn’t the same as weak, Mark. Sometimes, quiet strength is the most effective tool.”
Later that afternoon, Eleanor listened patiently as a particularly aggressive client on the phone threw a tidal wave of demands at her. When it was her turn to speak, her voice was steady, her words measured. She didn’t raise her voice, didn’t match his aggression. Instead, she spoke with a quiet authority that held him in place. There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line before the client’s tone softened.
Later, as the office began to empty, Eleanor remained at her desk, lost in thought. She looked out the window at the city skyline, a concrete jungle teeming with life. It was a world built on ambition, on the relentless pursuit of more. And yet, in the quiet spaces of her soul, she found a different kind of strength.
It was a strength forged in the crucible of adversity, refined by years of quiet perseverance. She thought of the times she’d been overlooked for promotions, dismissed in meetings, or subjected to subtle forms of discrimination. In those moments, it would have been easy to react with anger or bitterness. But Eleanor had learned the power of restraint. She had chosen the path of resilience, cultivating a strength that was both gentle and formidable.
“You know, Eleanor,” Sarah, a younger colleague, said as she passed Eleanor’s office door. “I don’t know how you do it. You always seem so calm.”
Eleanor smiled. “It’s not always easy, Sarah. But I’ve found that inner peace is a powerful tool.”
It was in the small acts of kindness, the quiet moments of prayer, the ability to listen without judgment. It was in the courage to stand firm in her convictions, even when it was easier to conform. It was in the grace she extended to others, even when she was the one who had been wronged.
As the last rays of sunlight painted the sky in hues of pink and orange, Eleanor closed her eyes. In the quiet of the moment, she felt a sense of peace, a deep-rooted contentment. It was a strength born not of force but of resilience—a quiet but undeniable strength. And as the city lights began to twinkle, she knew that her light was shining just as brightly, even if it was a softer glow.
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