All I have to do is read the news each day to remind myself that there is always, always something to be thankful for. No matter how good or bad things seem in my life, someone, somewhere in the world is desperately fighting for theirs. I often think that happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them. I often imagine all the wondrous things I could embrace if I wasn't so tightly wrapped around my struggles. Each day I want to choose to look at what I have rather than what I have lost. I can be a victim to the world and its people and say, "Look at what the world or that person has taken away from me." Or I can decide what to do with what I have left.
When times are tough, remember that no pain comes without a purpose. As I say this to you I'm truly saying it to myself. Every wound teaches us something. Every successful endeavor requires some type of worthy effort, and sometimes, struggle, to get there. Struggle doesn't mean failure. Things come together, not always immediately, but eventually. If you believe in something, keep trying. Try not to let the past darken the future. Patience and optimism are key. Complaining really doesn't ever get me anywhere and won't make my tomorrow any brighter. As long as I think that the cause of my problem is “out there” --somewhere else – as long as I think that someone or something else is responsible for my aches and pains, my situation is hopeless. What if I took action instead? What if I used what I learned to improve my life? What if I could make a change and not look back? I can't be perfect, but I can keep trying. I can try my best to introduce these ideas into my life more often. How about you? Through this process, we can keep our life force strong, vibrant and healthy, avoiding a further depletion and decline of health. Remember that energy follows attention.
Optimism (and less complaining) = Healthy Qi (Life Force).
For me, I know that true happiness arrives at my doorstep when I stop complaining about my problems and I start being grateful for the problems I don't have.
With Peace,
Anisha