We can only open our hearts to those we utterly trust, such as the accepting page.
(Gille Bolton)
With the arrival of the new year, what reflections do you have on the year that has just passed? Do you like most people, wish that you could have had more, done more or said more? Why don’t you instead say “I have enough?”
So what do I mean? I’m talking about learning to be content. Now, I’m not talking about accepting your lot in life in a fatalistic ‘what will be will be, will be’ way, but rather having a self-assured and confident, “I’ve enough” kind of mindset.
And the best way to reflect on the past year is through journaling. As you leaf through what you have written, you will notice that there were moments of uplifting and happy, interwoven with the discouraging and sad. So life is not all bad, but neither is it all good.
It is okay to recognize and acknowledge that your life has good and dark moments. It is how you handle these contrasting moments that will determine if you’re going to enjoy what you have and learn to be content, or you’ll rather contend and strive, and in turn make yourself miserable.
Just remember to choose wisely what you pursue. At the end of the road, it is not about possessions or even achievements. It is about people. Along life’s road of frantic pursuits, have you gained more friends or lost more. I don’t mean superficial acquaintances but rather relationships that will stand by you through thick and thin, through the hills and valleys of life.
Journaling takes time and effort but it will be worth it. You can start by taking small steps; begin with recording highlights. Remember, frequency and consistency are keys to good journaling habits. It is not about how well you write or express yourself. The journal is for yourself. It is your stories. Your stories matter because you matter. It is for your eyes only. And it need not be about words, as you can also draw instead of write.
Journaling is a good way to review what has happened and to help us understand ourselves better, by letting us determine if there is a pattern to the way we have been reacting to situations in our life. Reading about these events may give us a different perspective from when we were experiencing it.
Treat journaling as part of your self-care routine. As you journal and reflect, you will see a different perspective.
From me to you, more love for today and all your tomorrows. Cheers!
Artist: Lydia C. Text: Anna G. Edit: Patsy C.
One Story, Two Perspectives
A famous book writer sat in his study… he took his pen and began to write:
“Last year… I had surgery to remove gallstones. I had to be bedridden for a long time…
In the same year, I was 60 years old and entering retirement age, quitting a job in a company that I loved so much. I had to leave the job I’ve been doing for 35 years…
In the same year, I was abandoned by my beloved mother…
Then, in the same year, my son failed his final medical exam because of a car accident. Repair costs due to car damage were the peak bad luck last year…”
At the end he wrote:
“What a bad year!”
The writer’s wife entered the room and found her husband who was sad and pensive. From behind him, the wife saw what the husband wrote. Slowly she backed away and left the room…
15 minutes later, she came back in and put down a piece of paper with the following inscription:
Last year… my husband finally managed to get rid of his gallbladder which had been making his stomach hurt for years…
That same year… I am grateful that my husband can retire in a healthy and happy condition. I thank God, he has been given the opportunity to work and earn for 35 years to support our family.
Now, my husband can spend more of his time writing, which has always been his hobby…
In the same year, my 95 year-old mother-in-law, without any pain has returned to God in peace and happiness…
And still in the same year… God has protected my son from a terrible accident. Our car was seriously damaged by the accident but my son survived without any defects…”
In the last sentence his wife wrote:
“Last year, was a year full of extraordinary blessings from God… and we went through it full of wonder and gratitude”
The writer smiled with emotion and warm tears flowed down his cheeks. He was grateful for a different point of view for every event he had gone through last year. A different perspective had made him happy.
Friends, in this life we must understand that it is not happiness that makes us grateful. But it is gratitude that will make us happy. Let’s practise seeing an event from a positive point of view and keep envy out of our hearts.
We can complain because the rose bush has thorns, or rejoice because the thorn bush has roses.
Source: Original story by Abraham Lincoln
