The Big Picture

As many have said before, life is such a roller coaster of ups and downs. Why are all these negative things happening? Why can't I do anything right? My life is full of mistakes and hardships, just like the next person. However, I finally came to a realization that has changed my life. How to have true optimism.

So much crap happens to us. We go through hell and back. Whether that's because of something small such as, our kid decided to pour their own milk and it gets all over the carpet. Or something larger such as physical ailments that burden our daily life. This is the important thing to do during hard situations. Live in the now. Don't focus on the next moment or the past, but the present. It could always be worse. We need to focus on all that we have, here in the 21st century. We have steam cleaners to clean up the soggy carpet; we have doctors, medicine and procedures to help ease our physical pain. There is so much available to us. Remembering all that we have truly can change every hardship we endure.

What about the why? One of the ultimate questions in life is "why do bad things happen to good people?" I don't know the exact answer to that. But I do know this. Thus far, I HAVE MADE MY WAY THROUGH IT. I have benefitted and grown from every challenge that has come my way. I have realized that it's all about our perspective. We may not know why we had to endure a heartwrenching experience. But as we endure it well, we will always grow because of it.

Picture this. You're a young sapling growing in a vast forest, tall trees surrounding you. One evening, the wind starts to blow, it's raining, and you don't know if your roots can withstand all of the hardship. You have no idea how the tall trees around you made it to where they are now. Come the next morning, you made it! Your day is wonderful and happy because you were able to endure that hardship. The next night, the intense weather reoccurs. Blustering wind, hail, and piercing rain. Life is a struggle once again. But then something happens. You realize that the challenge you had the night before strengthened your roots and trunk; you are now better able to endure your next challenge. Since you were able to have that realization, your attitude improved with the challenges that lie ahead of you.

It's the same within our lives. You can't imagine how others made it through life, you're enduring hard challenges. Realize that your hardships give you strength. Because of the crap we go through, we can change our weaknesses into our strengths solely by attitude and perspective. It is important for us to experience the negative so that we might know what positive truly is. We can't know sunshine without rain, or joy without pain.

I realized that we need to be grateful for the crap. Even though it's hard and it seriously sucks, we will always benefit from it. Because of our mistakes, sad times, and hardships in life, we are better able to love and enjoy life. Not only when we make it through it, but as we live in the moment. In the end, my advice to you is to strive to fully love life even when you're struggling. Please always remember that you can and will make it through this. "You is kind, you is smart, and you is important." YOU ARE VALUED AND YOU ARE LOVED.