Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sometimes, Life Hurts:


As I write this, I’m sitting in a small café by the bay in New York City. After the subway got stuck in a tunnel and sat idle for over 20 minutes, I got off and ran to the bus-stop where I intended to travel back home for the weekend. When I frantically reached the platform, huffing and puffing and with fire in my eyes, the ticket manager could barely look me in the face as he told me I had missed the bus by only a few minutes.

There is an old saying “when life gives you lemons - make lemonade”. I’ll be honest; I didn’t think that at the time. I petitioned for a new slogan “when life gives you lemons, squeeze them in the eye of the closest person next to you”. I was a bit bummed by the unavoidable blunder but I soon focused on maintaining a mature mindset. So I set out to make use of the plentiful free time I found myself with.  Thankfully, I can catch the next departing bus in only a couple of hours and for only a small fee.

As I settled in and collected myself, I had an insight. I think you can relate:

Sometimes, it hurts.

It hurts when you miss your bus
It hurts when you run in the wrong direction
It hurts when you get your hopes up only to have them shot down
It hurts when you get laughed at or ridiculed
It hurts when you don’t say or do something because you’re afraid
It hurts when you hurt others
It hurts when people don’t return your calls or emails
It hurts when you fail, slip up, or make a mistake
It hurts when there’s too much work to be done
It hurts when you can’t practice what you preach
It hurts when you’re late for something important
It hurts when you love someone who doesn’t care much for you
It hurts when you feel like a stranger
It hurts when you get chastised or yelled at
It hurts when you need to do something you don’t want to
It hurts when you lose control
It hurts when people don’t appreciate your hard work
It hurts when you care for somebody more than they care for themselves
It hurts when people just don’t get it
It hurts when you try to do something nice but it crumbles to the ground
It hurts when you get abused, cheated, or lied to
It hurts when you’re stuck
It hurts when you’re out of luck
It hurts when you forget to duck
It hurts when you just don’t give a

Sometimes, life hurts.

But it’s worth it to BE positive when things don’t work out because, quite frankly, the alternative can really suck and make the situation a lot worse. Focus on a positive solution and never lose HOPE. Make one more effort and don’t give in. It's a thoughtful and proactive decision, deserving of recognition and applause.

Although, sometimes, there is nothing that can be done and you must helplessly watch as things transpire before your eyes. Incompetence can be a terrible feeling but take the hit. Face it boldly and keep on truckin’. You will get through it and there are good times around the bend.

Pain is temporary – it will pass.

Sometimes, it just takes some time.

1 comment:

  1. keep on truckin' <3

    As usual, this post truly made my day. It's so important to view experiences as neutral so that way you can accept them and learn from them. (again, i highly rec recommend the book "Being Happy" by Tal Ben-Shahar)

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