anxiety

Don’t let the hurts hold you down. You’ll heal and the hurts will turn to scars. Carry your scars with pride showing you are stronger, tougher and better than any hurt you’ve had. Move on, move ahead, good days are waiting.

This morning I made a trip to the supermarket to get coffee filters (I need my morning cup of coffee). As I was coming out of the supermarket, I saw a man in a pickup truck using his jumper cables to give a woman’s SUV a boost. We all need a boost like that from time to time. His kindness took the edge off her day. A small inconvenience for him turned into a big deal for this woman. Who can you give a boost to today?

I was inspired this morning when I read the story of Omar Hegazy. Omar is an Egyptian man who lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. He had his bad moments after the loss, then he decided not to give up. Recently he set two Guinness Book of World Records for underwater swimming. Setbacks come with life. We can let the setbacks permanently disable us or we can use our setbacks to inspire us to greater things. That’s what Omar did. Never quit. Never give up. 

Viktor Frankl said that human beings have one freedom that can never be taken away and that is our ability to choose the attitude we take toward any situation. We can choose to make the best of a poor situation or we can choose to be trapped. It’s up to us. Our choices determine the type of life we will have.

No RSVP’s for a pity party. Feeling sorry for ourselves doesn’t help, it only drags us further down. It’s hard at times to look on the bright side. It’s hard at times to believe tomorrow will be better than today. The bright side will lift you up and you’ll catch glimpses tomorrow is definitely going to be better than today. Keep on believing. 

Take time to celebrate your successes and the successes of those you know. There will be other mountains to climb, other achievements to earn. Today, stop and celebrate.

My mom always admonished me to learn something new everyday. This self-educated woman understood the value of learning. When we commit ourselves to a learning path, we shape our destiny. How will what you learn today further advance your life? How will what you learn today make you a better person, friend, partner, parent? 

It’s true, laughter is good medicine. The research says it strengthens our immune system, lessens pain, and boosts our mood. Children laugh much more than adults. Is it time to stop taking ourselves so seriously and lighten up, just a tad? Here’s hoping you have a wonderful, belly shaking, tears flowing laugh heading your way.