I’ve been going thru some issues lately. Stuff that are private so I’d rather not reveal to the public masses. But, it’s personal stuff. Relationship issues. Stuff that I wish could be improved upon. But, that’s life. You have your ups and you have your downs.
These days, I’ve been keeping track of what works (what makes me happy) and what doesn’t (what makes me sad). And I’ve been reflecting on those actions and trying to maximize the actions that lead to more positive feelings about myself.
We could all use some reflection these days. At the end of the day, just honestly review how your day went. What you could’ve done better. And what you did well. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just honestly review your day as if you were talking to your childhood self.
No need to harshly chastise yourself or anything like that. Just evaluate in a supportive manner and move forward with the next day with a renewed sense of vigor. No one day is ideal. No one day is perfect. We will have our ups and downs day after day. Hour after hour. It really depends.
That is just a part of life. And you need to roll with it. During the feelings of hardship, it’s important to open your perspective and practice gratitude for the here and now. For everything that you already have. That is within your grasp. And if you spend some thinking about it, there is beauty all over the world. Regardless of our mindset.
The world is full of resources. Full of opportunities. Full of optimism if we take it head on. We have the power to grasp that day in and day out. But, at the same time, we need to realize that we will suffer thru valleys while we go thru peaks. It’s the inevitable part of life.
And it’s our minds that labels what exactly are “valleys” and what exactly are “peaks”. It’s our thoughts and our ideals that generally lift us up and bring us down. It really depends on how we see things in life. There’s no magical formula to take the pain away if we’re suffering. All we can do is take baby steps. And have some hope that there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
That time will heal all wounds. And that with the right support of friends and family, we will get thru these harsh times and there will be better days ahead. It will be all okay in the end. That is a promise. That is something that we will all need to work towards.
The mental fortitude that we have will be strengthened during times of duress. So, we should see it as an opportunity to practice getting stronger. Our perseverance. Our will power. Our tenacity. These are all things that we can work on. And we should be grateful for the period of challenges that come our way.
Yes, when there is a peak, there will inevitably be a valley. That is the essence of life. And these past two years with the pandemic have been no different. There are traces of hope down the horizon with the emergence of the vaccine. And that has led to improved peace of mind from my standpoint. But, it’s not the end all be all. Social distancing and mask wearing should still be practiced. And it’s important to continue staying cautious and guarded.
The hard times can help me reflect. Help me see where are the areas that I need to improve upon within myself. What are the areas that I do well in, and what are the areas that I can develop. And to not get too caught up in your weaknesses, but build them up better in a relative sense.
To also realize that you still have a lot of strengths that you can use to service the world. You have a lot of things going for you. Many times, we make mountains out of mole hills. And if we widen our perspective to a universal standpoint, we can see that our problems in life - whether it be professional, personal, relationships, or otherwise - are relatively minuscule within the grand scheme of things.
There are billions of people in this world. And we are simply one of the many. How many people are going thru struggles worse than us in this life? How many people have no Internet? No food. No shelter. No clothing. No financials. There are many people struggling to simply make ends meet. There are many out there with COVID or other forms of disease and strife. There are many out there that are simply in dire need of support.
If we look back at our “problems”, we can see them in a minuscule sense. And maybe even make fun of them in a humorous light. There are countless ways we can deal with the inevitable valleys. The 8 Pillars of Joy - the book that interviews the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu - provide a good guidepost on ways to improve your inner well-being and achieve peace. I would recommend that as a good read.
No matter the ups and downs that we go thru, it’s important to note that there are ways thru it all. There are guideposts. There are methods. There are coping mechanisms. There are support systems. There are ways for you to survive and thrive. You are not alone in this journey. It’s important to realize your connection to us all.