Living Life by Serving Others

There are times in our life when we need for others to serve us, but the majority of our life we can spend serving others. The ways we do this vary from person to person and with intensity, however everyone has the ability to bless another person. This blog is devoted to just that very concept. Sometimes we will talk about personal options of service, or ways to make our-self ready to serve others.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Bad day?

I work in the midst of bad days.  Each day I meet, talk with and spend time with people who are having really bad days.  I have sat with people when the pain is palpable.  Yet in the midst of that pain, I see smiles, and I hear people talk of the “sample of joy” that they had in that day.  I am always amazed that life is what you make of it.  Oh please do not misunderstand, I am painfully aware that all the positive thinking in the world does not make the bill collectors go away, the lifelong illness disappear, or make the problematic spouse, child, boss or whomever go away, nor does it diminish whatever situation in your life is causing your discouragement and forcing you to deal with disappointment.  However, this reality I know to be true, how I as an individual choose to live my life does impact my experiences.  The Roman stoic philosopher Seneca once said, “As is a tale so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”  Tragedy and pain, sorrow and heartache are the very things that make our stories rich, not because of the shadows that they bring to our life’s portrait, but because they highlight the contrast of the beauty of our excellence.  So the next time you are having a bad day, when tragedy explodes into your life when sorrow seems to be trying to consume you in the midst of the questions of “why, and how could this happen?”  Ask yourself, “what next?”  What can I do next to help me survive this?  What can I do next to help me remain focused on the things that are important to me?  What can I do to ensure that this tragedy does not become my legacy?  What can I do next in this situation that will help me move myself forward to a place where this is a shadow of my life’s portrait and not the theme?

So what helps you keep your eyes up, when circumstances are telling you to look down?  I would love to hear what works for you.
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1 comment:

  1. ShanaJanuary 3, 2012 at 12:27 PM

    Thanks for this post, I found it quite inspiring. I find that a lot of times, writing helps me sort through my problems. I do this anytime I'm faced with a difficult situation. First I'll write down the problem, and then after some contemplation, I'll write down how I can go about remedying the issue at hand.

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