Life
is not a flat line of peace and comfort. In fact, in medical terms, if a person
“flatlines”, it means their heart and/or brain has stopped functioning. The
person is considered clinically dead. Nothing registers on the monitor.
The
secondary definitions of “flatline”, according to Merriam-Webster online, are “to
be in a state of no progress or advancement”, and “to come to an end.”
Who
wants to be dead, or flatlined in a state of monotony? Nobody.
That’s okay; because the reality is that none
of us are guaranteed a life of uninterrupted bliss and peace. We must all learn
to deal with inevitable mountains and valleys. In truth, trials are the only way we are pushed to change and improve. They
are the prime method to uncover our hidden strength—to remain alive and vital.
It’s
all about attitude, whether we’re in the mountains, or the valleys, of life.
Examples of Stable
People Despite the Odds
Jennifer—recently learned that
her accountant made some mistakes that could, possibly, force her to declare
bankruptcy. This is the only the latest setback in a lifetime of unbelievable challenges.
This friend’s trials
have made her into the most stable person I know.
Francis—lives in a small town
where the main religion differs from hers. Most of the other residents have no
desire to hear the truth about her misunderstood beliefs. For years, she has
been subject to disrespect. She
has made the conscious choice not to be offended.
Quotes about Attitudes
My last blog
post referred to the excellent article, “25
Life-Altering Quotes on how Mindset Changes Everything” on
Movemequotes.com. Today,
I would like to feature, again, some quotes from this uplifting passage:
“Fairness is an
illusion. Fairness never existed and never will. No one in life gets less or
more than anyone else. We just get different stuff. That’s right. No one is
dealt a bad or a good hand in life; we’re just dealt cards. It’s up to us to
stay in the game and play. Sure, some cards look ‘better’, but they’re really
not. If you look closely, you’ll see that anything you feel has been taken from
you—or never given to you at all—was replaced with other amazing opportunities
and gifts. It’s up to you to find them.”—Sean Stephenson, Get off Your “But”
************
“The art of thinking is
the greatest art of all, for ‘as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ The
thinker knows he is today where his thoughts have taken him and that he is
building his future by the quality of the thoughts he thinks.”—Wilfred Peterson,
The Art of Living
************
“One of the finest
beliefs I developed years ago that helped me to enjoy all of my life experience
was the idea that there are no bad experiences, that no matter what I go
through in life—whether it’s a challenging experience or a pleasurable one—every
experience provides me something of value if I look for it.”—Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within
*************
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can
decide not to be reduced by them.”—Maya Angelou
************
“Our mind is the
foundation of all our actions, whether they are actions of body, speech, or
mind, i.e., thinking. Whatever we think, say, or do arises from our mind. What
our consciousness consumes becomes the substance of our life, so we have to be
very careful which nutrients we ingest.”—Thich Nhat Hanh, Savor
************
“There is really no
reason to suffer. The only reason you suffer is because you choose to suffer.
If you look at your life you will find many excuses to suffer, but a good
reason to suffer you will not find. The same is true for happiness. The only
reason you are happy is because you choose to be happy. Happiness is a choice,
and so is suffering.”—Don Miguel Ruiz, The
Four Agreements
************
“True happiness comes not when we get rid of all of our problems,
but when we change our relationship to them, when we see our problems as a
potential source of awakening, opportunities to practice, and to learn.”—Richard
Carlson, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
The Bible
My Conclusion
Life
is rarely fair. Some of us are dealt hands that may seem to limit us severely. However, we
always have the choice to see our trials as opportunities for being catapulted
to new, unforeseen, levels--or despondency.
Please see
more about rising to new levels in my book: Accept No Trash Talk: Overcoming the Odds.
How do you
survive the hills and valleys?
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