Interesting question, don’t you think? Well, I have come to learn that perspective plays a huge role in the way that we feel, how we interpret situations and how we react. And even more importantly though, I learned that changing my perspective can be a very positive thing. I have shared with you some random thoughts below.
Don’t Complain, Make a Change
There are two quotes that I would say speak volumes in terms of how we handle life’s challenges. I will share these quotes with you and I would like you to ponder them. One reads –
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” – Mary Engelbreit.
I like this quote very much because it reminds me of how a lot of us tend to complain a lot about a situation, yet we do absolutely nothing about it. Just nonstop complaining daily, with absolutely no solution. Yet, as the quote suggests, if it bothers you so much, would you consider changing it? Do something about it. It is natural I agree, to worry and dwell on the issue, but you do yourself more harm than good. It helps if you choose to look at the situation in a different way, in a way that brings you some level of inner peace. Focusing on the problem may only cause you more stress. This brings me to the next quote, which reads –
“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” – Steve Maraboli.
I love this quote because I have definitely lived this so I find it to be so true. People search after their perceived happiness only to find it constantly deluding them, because they look to the external factors to make them happy. Yet life is filled with challenges and many major problems, so if your definition of happiness is in a blissful, stress-free, problem-free life then the happiness you seek may not be found. The difference in how you feel is often based on how you choose to view the situation and how you manage.
How do you view your life and the world?
I know what I have already written does not convince some people that it is just as simple as that, but I hope that the following examples will shine some light. I saw a poster that stated “if you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.” What touched me even more was reading on that very poster, “if you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation, you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.” You can read some more of these thought-provoking quotes at Posters For Good.
I am saddened and I am sure so many of us are when we see what is happening around the world these days, and I think the above quotes help to remind many of us how much we have to be grateful for. Sometimes we do stress over the small stuff. Life is stressful, no doubt, but remember as the quote says, it’s not about not having problems, it’s more about how we handle them. And if you can’t change something that you don’t like, then change the way you think about it.
Flip the Coin – Heads or Tails?
I would like to end with a few quotes someone sent to me via a whatsapp message:
“Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain, just pray to God for a better umbrella.”
“Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship. It’s not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care till the very end.”
“Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on what you make with them, a Wall or a Bridge? – Remember you are the architect of your life.”
And here’s the final punch:
“If you think it is your alarm clock that woke you up this morning, try putting it beside a dead body.”
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