I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.
( Anne Frank )
It’s difficult. When you’re hurting, it is hard to see beyond what you’re feeling right now. Your emotions are so raw that you think you cannot ever feel again. It’s like your heart and mind have exploded into a thousand pieces and you’re not sure that they’ll ever be whole again. You’ve shed so many tears that you don’t think you’ve any more left in your well.
This reminds me of the nursery rhyme, “Humpty Dumpty”. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and even the king’s men couldn’t put him back together again. As you know, Humpty Dumpty is an egg. And when a raw egg is cracked or broken, there is no way to glue it back together again.
But we’re not Humpty Dumptys. We are stronger than we think we are. Did you know that that a baby’s grip can hold up its entire body weight for at least 10 seconds if not more? So even though some of us might look like porcelain vases, we are made to be resilient!
And so, the important point here is, which part of your thoughts or emotions do you choose to give life to?
You can believe that the broken pieces of your life or heart can never be put back again. Or you can choose to allow yourself some time to grief over what is hurting you so badly, and then resolve to move on.
It is your choice what you want to believe. You have control over your thoughts.
By choosing to let go of the negative and hurtful thoughts does not mean you are denying the hurtful experiences or condoning whoever hurt you.
There is no denying that you find it difficult and even painful to pick up the pieces as you try to move on. But don’t give these broken pieces more power than they already do, as they occupy your thoughts or your heart.
You have to decide when you’ve had enough. If you’ve made up your mind that you’re not going to be better by wallowing in your wounds, do something about it.
Stop dwelling on these negative thoughts. Don’t allow yourself to set up a pity-party with your friends. Stop talking about it for now, unless you’re seeking professional help.
Occupy yourself with some energetic activities. Pick up new hobbies even if you don’t feel like it. Just get out there and breathe nature in deeply. Let the balmy sea breeze wash over you. Let the healing forest breathe new life into you.
Breathe again and again. Breathe deeply.
These broken pieces do not define who you are or can become. So what do you choose to believe?
Like the restored vase, you can become more beautiful than before. Do you believe this?
Reflect and ponder as you listen to this song Shattered by Blanca.
Artist & Text: Anna G
The Black Dot
One day, a professor entered his classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They all waited anxiously at their desks for the exam to begin. The professor handed out the exams with the text facing down. Once he handed them all out, he asked the students to turn over the paper.
To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions – just a black dot in the center of the paper. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone’s faces, told them the following:
“I want you to write about what you see there.”
The students looked at one another, confused, but nonetheless got started on the inexplicable task. At the end of the class, the professor took back all of the exam answer sheets and started reading each one of them out loud in front of all the students. Without exception, everyone had defined the black dot, as they tried to explain its position in the centre of the sheet of paper.
After all the answers had been read, the classroom went silent, as the professor started to explain,
“I’m not going to grade you on this, I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot – and the same thing happens in our lives. We insist on zeroing in on the black dot – the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend. In truth, the dark spot is very small when compared to everything we have going on in our lives. But it is often the dark spot that pollutes our minds.
Instead let’s live life to the full, as you take your eyes away from the black dots in your lives. Enjoy every one of your blessings, every moment that life gives you. Be happy and live a life filled with love!
