“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.”
This quote, by Morris West, is about always anticipating the worst. But always having a mindset that something’s about to go wrong is like always “waiting for the storm.” In the meantime, we don’t enjoy the sunshine now. So when there is no storm and things are good, let’s not waste the sunshine worrying that something bad is about to happen. In doing so, the things that should make us happy now are either ignored or overshadowed with worry. Let’s do our best to enjoy the sunshine when it comes. And when there is a storm, let’s learn to “dance in the rain.”
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
This quote is from Matthew 6 verse 34. It’s part of a longer passage about worry that begins at verse 25. In the longer passage, it talks about worrying about acquiring material possessions such as food and shelter. It compares our worry about these things to birds, who also need these things to survive but are much more carefree. However, they manage to acquire these necessities each day. Their creator, God, knows what they need and makes sure those things are provided to them. Yes, we’re not birds, we’re humans. And unlike the birds, we have bills to pay and various financial constraints and obligations, especially in today’s world. But…
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
This quote, from Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, reminds us to breath easy when there are more questions than answers. Some seasons in life are full of questions; and that’s natural. For example, what are we going to do with our life or exactly how are we going to accomplish our goals? What ever our questions, it’s reassuring to know that some seasons in life are just uncertain–full of questions. Meanwhile, other seasons are full of answers. During those that give us answers, we’re more self-assured, know exactly what we want to do, and feel like we’re one-hundred percent on the right track. If you’re in…
This Too Shall Pass
“This Too Shall Pass” is an adage that is both universal and timeless. So much so that it’s somewhat uncertain when and where it comes from. It has appeared in various forms and translations throughout different cultures and centuries. It has appeared in Jewish folklore about the bible’s King Solomon as well as in 13th-century Persian literature (among other origins). The main idea in the saying is that nothing in the human condition lasts forever. Anything that happens, good or bad, will one day pass. This can be both humbling and consoling. When life feels arduous or your situation feels unbearable, it is rather consoling to know that “this too…
Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid of standing still.
It’s easy to get disappointed that we haven’t achieved our goals fast enough. Or perhaps, we’re so overwhelmed by what it’ll take to get there that we don’t start or we don’t continue. But there’s a famous saying that goes: “Slow and steady wins the race.” Well, what’s even slower than slow is not moving at all–standing still. In which case, there’s no chance of ever crossing the finish line. So, it’s better to move slowly than not at all; and this Japanese proverb is about the value in progress, however big or small.
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.
This quote, by Charles Spurgeon, is a great reminder that the time we spend worrying about tomorrow doesn’t really do anything to make tomorrow any better. Instead, it robs us of our strength and enjoyment of today. It robs us of our joy, passion, and motivation; making us more prone to fatigue, procrastination, and even depression. So, instead of ruining today by worrying about tomorrow, seek to find hope. But more importantly, seek to find faith, in which hope can be firmly grounded. Read The Serenity Prayer.
Living Life Poetically: The Unexplained
In life, there are a lot of questions. Often, there are more questions than answers. That’s completely normal. There are questions with answers you can lookup. Then, there are scientific questions you can look up but with limited or no answer. Meanwhile, there are questions you have to ask others. For example, the secret ingredient in a family recipe or where you left your keys. But there’s another category of questions we’re missing in this list. These are questions we consciously or subconsciously ask ourselves. They sometimes start out with words like: “Will I ever…? What if I never…? Or, will this ever…?” These questions represent our doubts. Life can…
Keep it Simple
Keeping things simple sounds like something that would be simple to do. But not quite. We’re more inclined to overcomplicate our lives. For instance, we jampack our schedules, ending up with little personal time. Or, we overcomplicate what we eat, following restrictive diets with a laundry list of guidelines. We may even overcomplicate our relationships. There’s this perception that the more faceted, elaborate, or belabored things are, the better. However, not necessarily. There’s definitely a point where things get overcomplicated, causing us even greater distress. So, we should always be mindful of our overcomplications–remembering that we can do ourselves a big favor by just keeping things simple.
A year from now everything you’re stressing about won’t even matter
Perhaps the part that says “everything” can be modified to say “almost everything.” Nevertheless, this famous saying, by an unknown author, is great for putting our worries into perspective. That’s because most of the things we’re stressed about today would have already come and gone. Whatever the outcome (good or bad) would have already happened. Some things will work out and some things won’t. Whatever the case may be, it won’t be the end of the world. Life goes on. Not only will most of the things we’re stressed about now no longer be relevant in a year, but we most likely wouldn’t even recall what they all were.
Living Life Poetically: Hope’s Promise
The feeling of hope has literally been around longer than we can possibly imagine. As humans, whenever our situation or condition has been less than ideal, hope has carried us through; enabling us to not only envision a better tomorrow but also strive toward it. Now, imagine if hope had a voice. What would it tell us? Rephrasing that question, what has it already told us? The poem, “Hope’s Promise,” is about that. Hope’s Promise Hope once gave a promise, And its promise remains. “The past and present, I cannot reclaim…” “But the future I can see, and I see your dreams a guarantee. Just have me,” Hope said, “and…
