‘Life is like a roller coaster’, a friend of mine would often say. ‘If you want to enjoy the highs, you have to ride the lows too. For there cannot be day without night, black without white, Yin without Yang and happiness without sorrow.’
How true these words are.
Through my life I have come to realize that you may not be able to decide what happens, but you can certainly decide upon the way you look at it. Because in most cases you have limited control over the occurrence or outcome of a situation, but you have control over your reactions to it.
If you choose to be unhappy, you are. If you choose to be happy, you are.
To a large extent, this attitude has helped me through some really difficult phases in my life.
But it is still tough to deal with lows. It is difficult to just put things away, brush them aside and forget that they exist. I would have to be a saint or a sage, to be able to say that negative incidents in my life, do not affect me at all.
At times like this, when things are going against me, the best way I have discovered to overcome a low moment in my life, is to spend time with those who love me unconditionally. Those who do not judge me. Those who do not want me to change, to be acceptable. Those who are happy to just be by my side, to help me tide over that low point in my life.
My family.
Through the ups and downs in my life, they are the one constant that has been by my side. Through thick and thin. Through joy and despair.
Together… is all that matters
In my life there have been many moments that I would define as ‘lows’. But having my family – my parents and my sister when I was younger… my wife and kids now – makes everything seem insignificant in the long run.
Getting an objective and non-judgmental perspective from my family on the problem I face has, at many times, given me the belief and strength to get back on my feet, to tackle the problem head on.
I do believe that Optimism is something that is inherent in all of us. However through our lives and the challenges we face day after day, it slowly ebbs away until the predominant emotion we are left with is despair, pessimism and negativity.
At times like these, I find that spending time with my family has always helped bring back the optimism in my outlook, a smile on my face, and a change in my attitude. They give me the strength to put my troubles behind me, look up and bring back my motivation to get back in the ring, for one more shot at the problems I face.
My family is my biggest strength. And my family members are my best friends.
I believe that as long as my family is with me, every day is special. Every problem can be solved. Every low can be converted into a high.
And like Housing, I too believe in the inimitable power of optimism… #together.
photo credit: Exi & Mike: Holding Hands via photopin (license)
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