Hard Times
Hard Times
The most loving, wises and well centered people you have ever met are likely those who have known misery, known defeat, known the heartbreak of losing something or someone they loved, and have found their way out of the depths of their own despair. These people have experienced many ups and downs, and have gained an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, understanding and a deep loving wisdom. People like this aren’t born; they develop slowly over the course of time.
It’s one thing to have a bad day yet quite another to fall on tough times. These are the days when it’s hard to get out of bed, not knowing how you’re going to make it through the day. These are the days when it feels like the world is crumbling around you and you’ve been hit by a two-by-four by the time you go to bed at night. Yet, these are the times that shape character and show what you’re made of. No one wants to struggle. No one wants to even admit their struggling. We all want to have Photoshopped versions of our own lives that fit perfectly into an Instagram square. But life does not work like that. Every one of us will be faced with a variety of tough times in their life. It is one of the few things we can really count on.
Difficult times have a unique way of trimming off the unnecessary in our lives. If someone does not truly care, they will not make the effort to be there. End of story.
Eventually, you will learn who really matters, you will be grateful for them and you will have cleared out some emotional space for someone who will be there for you, through thick and thin. Your friends and family are too beautiful to ignore. Take a moment to remember how fortunate you are to be breathing. Take a look around, with your eyes earnestly open to the possibilities before you. Much of what you fear does not exist. Much of what you love is closer than you realize. You are just one brief thought away from understanding the blessing that is your life.
When times are tough, you must be tougher. Don’t pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a tough one that leads to greatness.