Life is beautiful, no doubt about that. However, during difficult times, it might seem otherwise. Trying to look for the silver lining during or after what seems to be an unfortunate situation is easier said than done. How then do we discover the beauty of life during or after trying times? Let’s look at some quotes from people who lived to tell the tale. As someone once said, “We can teach from experience, but we cannot teach experience.”
- Be the first to forgive.
“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different. It’s accepting the past for what it was, and using this moment and this time to help yourself move forward.” ― Oprah Winfrey
Resentment gradually damages your peace of mind, just like cancer destroys a vital organ. Be the first to forgive; don’t get stuck in wallowing. Remember the Serenity Prayer? “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
It’s alright to act on something in order to affect change but resisting what is already a reality would border on senseless. Remember, to travel far and fast, travel light by focusing on the things that you have control over; let go of the things that cause you to focus on the negative in events, circumstances, and people. Let go of all your resistance to the flow of life and the flow of circumstances. Forgiveness is the key to inner peace which allows you to see life for what it really is – a beautiful and amazing journey filled with all kinds of people and experiences. You can start by asking yourself, “Whom do I need to forgive?”
- Be thankful. Always.
“I never met a bitter person who was thankful. Or a thankful person who was bitter.” ― Nick Vujicic
Behavioral and psychological research, as covered by psychologist Dr. Robert Emmons’ book, “Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier,” shows that gratitude heightens the quality of life. Steve Maraboli, author of “Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience,” said, “Your ability to see beauty and possibility is proportionate to the level at which you embrace gratitude.”
Gratitude shifts your focus from what you think you’re missing in life to the abundance of what you already have. When you concentrate on what you do not have, you’ll end up never having enough.
Find the beauty in the little things; acknowledge that every waking day is a miracle. Sometimes we get too preoccupied that we lose our sense of wonder about life’s simple joys. Try quieting yourself internally. Stop comparing your life to that of other people; count blessings instead of woes, notice simple pleasures, and make sure to acknowledge everything that you receive.
- Be on a mission.
“The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive.”
— J.K. Rowling
In times of difficulty, remember to ask yourself these questions: “What’s good about this?”, “What can I learn from this?”, and “How can I benefit from this?”
Your answers reflect how you interpret life and how you will eventually relay what you’ve gone through with others. If you focused on how stressful or bad it was, chances are you’ve created negative experiences and memories.
Be on a mission; seek significance or a sense of purpose. Find opportunities behind every obstacle; see how it can inspire others to see the beauty that life has to offer despite difficulties. Seek to inspire; live with character, integrity, and morality. Figure out what you want to be remembered for if you were to die tomorrow. Strive to embody the definition of success, as attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson:
‘To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the approval of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived…
This is to have succeeded.”
Achieving inner peace, practicing gratitude, and having a sense of purpose allow us to discover and appreciate all the beauty that life has to offer, even if we’re not exactly where we want to be at the moment. Constant awareness of how beautiful and amazing life is in every moment is possible; it simply takes a way of seeing and reacting to things a bit differently. Take for example a cancer patient who’s suffering alopecia caused by chemotherapy. Instead of feeling down, she chose to see it as an opportunity to experience trying on different wigs, an avenue to make a fashion statement with different hats or head wraps, or as a time to bask in being bald and beautiful.
Just remember that all obstacles are a part of life, no one is immune to them. Obstacles or challenges provide opportunities to grow; they can temporarily detour you, but only you can make yourself stop seeing life as it already is – beautiful and amazing.
References:
Ari Sherbill, “23 Most Inspiring People Alive (for me)”, https://www.powtoon.com/blog/23-most-inspiring-people-alive/
Erin Scottberg of LearnVest, “9 Famous People Who Will Inspire You to Never Give Up”, https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-famous-people-who-will-inspire-you-to-never-give-up
Jonathan Mead, “How to Find Beauty in Life”, http://thinksimplenow.com/calmness/how-to-find-beauty-in-life/
Marelisa Fabrega, “How Gratitude Can Change Your Life”, https://possibilityofchange.com/gratitude/
John Mason, Believe You Can – The Power of a Positive Attitude
Joshua Becker, “Stop Chasing Success. Seek Significance.”, http://www.becomingminimalist.com/stop-chasing-success-seek-significance/
Thomas Oppong, “The Pursuit of Meaning, Not Happiness is What Makes Life Incredibly Better “, https://medium.com/the-mission/the-pursuit-of-meaning-not-happiness-is-what-makes-life-better-a4c1f252d20e
“Finding inner peace”, http://livelifewell.co/category/wellness/index_wellness_arti.php?ARTIwellness_ID=%2014
Neza Farol
Neza is from the Coaching team, she's a workaholic but very cool mom who loves to sing with her family and friends when she has the time. As a "C" survivor, she highly agrees with Ralph Waldo Emerson when he said, "…To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
