Yesterday, I talked about true moments of happiness. Today is a new day.
One of my students came into class the other day pouting because she didn't win a crane game that had some toy she really wanted. She wasn't hurt, she didn't go through any real trauma, she only didn't get a toy she wanted. Even so, she had a disappointed face on when she came into my class and didn't really want to do much. The other kids were having fun and worried about her. Eventually, after seeing the other kids have fun her disposition changed completely. She went from "to cool for school" and pouty to having fun like the other kids. She still lost the crane game and still didn't get her toy, but it was as if none of that happened. All it took was a change of attitude.
The real world is a lot more unfair and cruel than crane games. We're going to lose a lot and things aren't always gonna go our way. That's just life. However, how we choose to act is on us to decide. In times of struggle it's reasonable for us to become sad and react with a loss of motivation and feelings of helplessness. When life takes hard turns it's pretty normal for things to lose their color. Yet even in the darkest depths there is room for light to shine valiantly. In the same way, there's always a bright side to any situation, whether it's the lesson to be learned from loss, a new sense of purpose, an opportunity for growth, etc.
One thing I need to work on more is seeing the bright side in things. Whenever I fail at something my main motivation is to not repeat the same mistakes. I want to become better than I was and that drives me to keep working toward something I truly value. I recently ended up breaking up with my girlfriend. I really care about and want her to be happy, but as things were we weren't right for each other. It's sad, but again that's life. I could let myself be down in the dumps in the face of my failures, but I chose to believe that there's something to be gained from every situation. Looking back, I'm happy for the time we had together and I know that if being myself couldn't keep us together it wasn't going to last.
With that in mind, I don't regret anything, but I now have a better understanding of the kind of person I'd like to be with in the future. It was good while it lasted and instead of brooding over my loss and letting my pride keep me from moving on I want to take what lessons I can from each experience and keep moving forward. For all I know maybe it was necessary for my own growth. Who knows?
Like my student, we can choose to be pouty or have fun and enjoy life.
Peace
"The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances." - Marsha WashingtonI'm a firm believer that our perspective shapes everything. No matter what situation we find ourselves in there's a possibility of finding happiness within it. It all depends on how we choose to view them.
One of my students came into class the other day pouting because she didn't win a crane game that had some toy she really wanted. She wasn't hurt, she didn't go through any real trauma, she only didn't get a toy she wanted. Even so, she had a disappointed face on when she came into my class and didn't really want to do much. The other kids were having fun and worried about her. Eventually, after seeing the other kids have fun her disposition changed completely. She went from "to cool for school" and pouty to having fun like the other kids. She still lost the crane game and still didn't get her toy, but it was as if none of that happened. All it took was a change of attitude.
The real world is a lot more unfair and cruel than crane games. We're going to lose a lot and things aren't always gonna go our way. That's just life. However, how we choose to act is on us to decide. In times of struggle it's reasonable for us to become sad and react with a loss of motivation and feelings of helplessness. When life takes hard turns it's pretty normal for things to lose their color. Yet even in the darkest depths there is room for light to shine valiantly. In the same way, there's always a bright side to any situation, whether it's the lesson to be learned from loss, a new sense of purpose, an opportunity for growth, etc.
One thing I need to work on more is seeing the bright side in things. Whenever I fail at something my main motivation is to not repeat the same mistakes. I want to become better than I was and that drives me to keep working toward something I truly value. I recently ended up breaking up with my girlfriend. I really care about and want her to be happy, but as things were we weren't right for each other. It's sad, but again that's life. I could let myself be down in the dumps in the face of my failures, but I chose to believe that there's something to be gained from every situation. Looking back, I'm happy for the time we had together and I know that if being myself couldn't keep us together it wasn't going to last.
With that in mind, I don't regret anything, but I now have a better understanding of the kind of person I'd like to be with in the future. It was good while it lasted and instead of brooding over my loss and letting my pride keep me from moving on I want to take what lessons I can from each experience and keep moving forward. For all I know maybe it was necessary for my own growth. Who knows?
Like my student, we can choose to be pouty or have fun and enjoy life.
Peace
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| The sun is always shining somewhere. |
In the end happiness resides within. Where does happiness reside within you?
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