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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Happiness Is In Your Hands


Happiness is in Your Hands…..

“Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself.”
 

Walter Anderson
Im wise enough to know that it is through adversity and difficulty that our spirit and soul grows and evolves into maturity. 
We must welcome those difficulties as they define our characters and challenge us to new levels of opportunity and understanding.
 On an intellectual level, Im aware of this and truly believe that each mountain to climb afford us a magnificent opportunity for change.

On a practical level, at times life can seem overwhelming and hard. Whether it is juggling family issues, health issues, spiritual or financial issues there are times where life appears to be an overload of everything. 

It is during these times that we must step away from the scenery and take a walk down a different path in order to gain a different perspective. It is during these times that we have to muster the strength to focus on the positive aspects of our existence.

 Take the time to focus on the good things that you are blessed to have whether it be healthy children or a great job. It can be something as simple as being grateful that you have eyes to see and ears to hear.

We are all blessed in a thousand different ways.
My former tennis pro was from Kenya and over the years I have heard many stories about his childhood.  He grew up in the poorest of slums in Africa and has by the grace of god achieved a success known to few. He became one of the top tennis players in Africa representing the Davis cup for over ten years.
  His fame enabled him to provide a life for his parents and family that would be considered wealthy by Kenyan standards.
He told  me that his father used to get up at 6 am and walk two hours just to get to work at 8 am. He had several brothers and sisters and the youngest one was entitled to tea. She was the only one as she was the spoiled child. 
This experience defined his character and he is one of the most gracious people that I have ever met.
I have seen photos of the slums in Kenya- people living in poverty in the united states look like they are living in luxury compared to the poverty that exists there.  I asked him what kept his spirit alive and what gave him the ability to be happy regardless of his surroundings. 
 It is clear to me that it was his focus on the simple things that he had that others lacked. He had a family and he wasn’t an orphan. His family was strict with him and they had faith.
 His story is astonishing and since I have an interest in sociology and psychology I often discuss his background in-between tennis rounds.
The adversities in life- we all have them. They may not be on your plate right now but rest assured they will be. This is a given that we must all accept. It truly is how we view all of these difficulties and our ability to allow them to strengthen us and move through them. 
They may trip you up for a short period but there is nothing that one can not navigate through given the proper desire and fortitude.
If you think you are at the end of your robe in terms of tolerance. I assure you that you are in fact not. You are a limitless resource and if you learn to appreciate the simple things around you- you will rejoice.  
We are all blessed it is just a matter of recognizing the blessings that surround each of us. Life is a challenge so embrace that fact and celebrate that you are alive and well. I wish all of you good health, prosperity and peace. xo

2 comments:

Nancy Moon said...

This is so wonderful to share on Valentine's Day. Keep up the good work!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much Nancy!