I have a friend who is really down in the dumps right now. Everything in her life seems to be going wrong and she just can't catch a break, yet sometimes I wonder if her outlook on life doesn't bring on some of her misfortune. Over her lifetime, I would say bad luck seems to follow her around, but she is also a very hard and cynical person. She doesn't believe in much beyond what she can see and feel.... her belief in something more than the ordinary has vanished beneath a rough shell of skepticism. What is wrong with her faith, I wonder? Where is the positive outlook I know lurks beneath her tough outer shell? Life is just too short to be so miserable all the time, and yet she seems to thrive on playing the victim - always complaining and bemoaning her fate, and not looking around her and seeing all the gifts she has in her life. Now I'm not perfect and can't say I'm always a positive role model, but I do believe in things I can't touch or see, I do believe wishes can come true if you have enough faith in them (although they may take on a different form than what you expect), and I do believe our outlook on life affects what happens to us. If you believe bad things will happen, then they will... it's a self imposed fate. Have you ever heard the saying that those who expect good things always get them? Well, in my own experience, it's true, but you have to have a positive personality and a true faith in what you expect. You also need compassion and sympathy for this to work... a truly good person will reap the rewards of nurturing the fates of their fellow man.
In today's world it is difficult to believe in other people anymore... everyone seems to be looking out for themselves nowadays and it's a challenge to put yourself out there risking getting hurt. My friend has no faith in other people... she has been hurt so many times and the defensive wall she has built makes it difficult for anyone to get close. She is selfish and angry, and at times I can't say I blame her. But, as her friend I try to get her to see that life is not as bad as she thinks. There are still good people willing to be there for her if she would let them in. Her anger is such a waste of energy, and would be much better channeled toward rebuilding her damaged relationships with friends and family. Her outlook on friends and family at the moment consists of a belief that if they don't think the way she does, then they are all stupid and not worth her effort. This is her way of putting up the wall and not getting hurt further. It's so sad to see this happen over and over again - especially when it's aimed at me and all I'm trying to do is help her see how much I care for her.
If you have friends or family that struggle with life and seem not worth the effort to stay in touch with, please don't give up on them. The success of our life is measured by the relationships we forge and nurture - no matter the circumstances. Money, material gain, power... all that means nothing because we can't take it with us in the end and it's worth is fleeting. Our connections with others.... that is worth more than money and power. Help someone see that life is good.... life is precious.... and life is what we make it.
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