"Let Your Smile Change The World But Don't Let The World Change Your Smile." unknown
When I am in pain it is hard to put on a smile. When I do, though, I immediately feel a little bit better. In addition, I notice that when I smile at the world, the world seems to smile back at me. My karma improves, and things just seem a little lighter and brighter.
"Your destiny is in your hands. Creating the life you want is only, and always, up to you." Darren Johnson
I had the most wonderful Mother's Day! I woke up to a beautiful card and note that my husband left me, then my younger son who lives in Washington D.C. texted me his love. Lastly, my older son and his girlfriend came over for a Mother's Day brunch on our deck, followed by a day working in the yard and the garden. Even Arthas the cat was able to come out and enjoy the day. Although I wasn't physically able to do that much of the labor, I was able to enjoy being outside for part of the time. Spending time outdoors is available to almost everyone, even if gardening might not be.
Like the outdoors, resilience is available to everyone. Resilience can be learned and developed by anyone. Life throws many stresses at you, both large and small. Resilience can offer you a variety of coping strategies. Resilience can help you both minimize negative emotions and maximize positive emotions. This can result in less stress, pain and more happiness.
I have two boys in their twenties. I have a front row seat to see that starting out as an adult in the world is a hard scary process. There are so many new mountains to climb and challenges to face, and just when it seems to be getting easier a a new challenge is thrown out. I am 52 and I'm fighting the same fight against pain that I started fighting during law school. One might ask, "does it get easier?" That's not the question to ask, though. A better question is "what is the reward?" I think one might find a little reward everyday.
We went to Zion on our latest vacation and my family did some amazing hikes. I'm sure in the beginning the climbs seemed daunting. They were climbing at higher altitude and it was difficult. As they progressed they felt fatigue, soreness and stiffness in their bodies, but they kept going. They had a vision of where they were headed, but until they had been there themselves it was hard to see. All they could do was take one step at a time, hoping for a breathtaking vista, yet they had a great time. When hiking we spend more time enjoying our companions, the adventure, the scenery and the thrill of the climb. And our target goal keeps us going - even if we don't know the what the end of the hike will yield. When focusing on those things we don't notice the blisters, sore muscles and aching backs and knees as much. We have fun despite the difficulties.
Couldn't this be applied to your life no matter your age or what you're doing? Staying mindful of our dreams and goals and tuning out the ever present background noise will help power you forward. Realizing all we've done to accomplish those goals and dreams is like stopping in the middle of a climb and looking over a beautiful vista.
So, stop along the way and notice the beautiful things around you. See your journey as an adventure and accomplish what you have to but enjoy the journey. Stop for the vistas, enjoy your company and pat yourself on the back for how far you've come when you look back. Finally, when you get to the the summit, know that you'll enjoy it, even if you can't currently anticipate it and even if it's not what you originally envisioned.
