“… despite the things we can’t change, there is still much more that we can.”

 

Article By Judy Mosley

 

Life can take all of us by surprise. Sometimes, it feels full of blessings.  And sometimes, it can feel like it has hit us in the gut when we least expected it.  

 

It could be a loss of any kind: a loved one, a job, a relationship, a house.  Or, maybe a dream of ours has come true, but the reality of it may seem very from what we had imagined.  Experiences like this could leave us winded and unsure about what to do next.

 

But we don’t have to lose heart.

 

It takes courage and faith to get out of bed and to face the day. That can be a struggle but it doesn’t have to be impossible.  It just means that we might have to change the way we do things as well as how we think about them…

 

Let Go of Expectations

Dreams can be wonderful and a dream come true can feel like the greatest gift.  Yet many times, when we get what we most want, reality turns out to be much different then what we might have expected.

 

We must let go of what we had imagined life would be like.  Keeping those false images alive could stop us from seeing the blessings that are inside of the reality that we are living … the blessings al around us.  Letting go brings us back to the present moment.  And this is where we need to be if we are to move forward.

 

Make Room for Hope

This is where faith comes in.  We have to believe that things will get better, that things will change and that life won’t always be this painful.

 

I’m not talking about a trite hope that the weather will be nice or that we’ll get such and such for our birthday.  I’m talking about the Life-giving Hope that gives us the courage to move forward.  It’s a Hope that speaks of Truth and Love and that it is these things that will prevail, no matter what our outer circumstances consist of.  Hope like this can be found in the simplest of places, yet you need to have your eyes and heart open to see it.

 

Let Go of Pride

Keep brushing your teeth.  Keep fixing your hair.  But, let go of the idea that you have to be someone that you are not or that you have to produce a certain image to make people believe that you’re fine.  

 

All of us have been wounded and we need each other.  Be honest about where you are … without drowning yourself or loved ones in being wounded.  Be real about your experience but also keep the Hope that’s inside of you.  There are others that feel as you do.  Your honesty could bring the hope that they needed within themselves.

 

Make Something Better

Every day, do something to make life better.  Make your bed.  Color with your child.  Take a walk. Give a compliment to a stranger.  Do something every day that will make this world a little better.

 

We need kindness to run the streets at a time when things are so hard for everyone.  Carry it with you as you would your cell phone or your wallet.  Sometimes, in doing something good, yet simple, we discover that we still have personal power … and despite the things we can’t change, there is still much more that we can.

 

So don’t lose heart.  Keep the faith.  Keep loving.  Keep searching for Life.  

 

It’s already within you and in those around you.  Sometimes, we just have to open our hearts to discover what’s just around the corner.

 

“While we are focusing on fear, worry, or hate, it is not possible for us to be experiencing happiness, enthusiasm or love.”
-Bo Bennett

 

“Sometimes we hold on to our possessions because we fear we might run out - life seems scarce.  But when we believe that giving is the way to live, we will produce more in the future - life seems abundant.”
-John C. Maxwell

 

“No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope or fear;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here.”
-John Greenleaf Whittier, My Psalm, 1859

 

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