You Are Not Alone, Everyone Faces Challenges
People have been searching for leaders to emulate since the beginning of time. We hold people up as role models and strive to be as “perfect” as they are.
We continue to search for such people among us mere mortals today. You know, the ones with no lies, nothing to hide, nothing to conquer, nothing to regret, and nothing to be ashamed of. The one-of-a-kind specimen who can’t go wrong and never has a bad day or issues. At least, not in comparison to what you’re going through or have been through.
For most people, I’ve looked for someone like that at one point or another. I wanted to encourage him or her to take a stand and let others know about their lives so that they could be seen as a living example for the rest of the world to emulate. A model for the perfect human being. Someone who was not a fictional character from the past or a character from the future, but a living, breathing human being. However, such an individual did not exist in the real world. Regardless of how well-mannered some people seem to be, everybody struggles with at least one issue at any given time and makes major mistakes.
When people we admire make mistakes and demonstrate that they are susceptible to lapses in judgment, many of us feel betrayed and disappointed.
So, how do you improve if the examples you’re looking up to are all pretty much the same?
The only way to learn is to live, and to live is to experience joy and suffering, triumphs and defeats, errors and corrections, births and deaths. Life is similar to a pendulum swinging back and forth. Ebbs and flows will still be there. Life can also be viewed as a film. In almost every good film, the protagonist goes through hell. Even though they fall from time to time, they never give up. They finally find out a way to defeat the villain or solve the challenge and emerge victorious in the end.
With that said, everybody alive has had regrets, suffered great loss, felt deep sorrow, been hospitalized, and faced other challenges at various times in their lives. And infants who are learning to walk slip sometimes. The main thing is that they keep trying before they succeed.
This quote is from James Allen’s book “The Heavenly Life,” and it is one of the quotes that I live by. It simply means that crying over spilled milk isn’t going to help you recover the milk you’ve lost. It’s best to learn from our mistakes, so we’ll be careful not to spill the milk again next time. That is, in reality, what learning is. Self-improvement is a never-ending phase that only stops when you realize you don’t want to improve or when you die.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
There have been several occasions that I have said or done things that I should not have. In certain situations, just remaining quiet would have been preferable. Even so, I won’t be able to go back in time and undo everything I’ve said or done. Looking back, what I can tell is that I was naïve and dumb at the time. But, even though those encounters left me with what I now refer to as “life wounds,” I benefited from them.
As people, we are prone to passing judgment and looking down on those who might have made errors. When we know that someone is going through or has gone through difficult times, we become less judgmental. Our stories may vary, but we all face the same challenges. The difference is determined by the decisions we make in dealing with those obstacles.
Life as a movie
As I previously said, life is similar to a movie. We are the protagonists of our films. So far, my film has dealt with a lot of tragedy, including the deaths of a father, a daughter, my grandparents, a few relatives, coworkers, a pet, and fellow soldiers. I’ve lost work, sentimental jewelry, games, and tournaments in which I competed and learned, and I’ve also lost fights. I’ve even gone insane. I’ve failed several times, including exams for which I had prepared, but I’ve never given up.
On the other hand, I’ve made a lot of new friends have a new grandson, a new cat, and some new jewelry. I’ve also visited several new locations, won fights, sports, and tests, and reclaimed my mind. I expect there will be more sorrow and happiness, pain and joy, ups and downs as the movie of my life continues. It’s all written into the script.
I’ve kept a little secret to myself that has kept me alive.
Watch nature shows if you just want to see the facts about creation. Feelings aren’t something that nature has time for. Nature is more concerned with ensuring the survival of the species than with mourning the loss of what has passed away. One of the lessons I’ve learned from nature is to keep on and not give up no matter what. Giving up guarantees death.
Another gem by Tim Hansel that I’ve come to enjoy is this:
“Pain is unavoidable, but suffering is not. We can’t stay away from pain, but we can stay away from joy.”
I believe that to succeed in life, one must first recognize that life is what it is. Don’t be dissatisfied with the hand you’ve been dealt. Instead, treasure the cards you’ve been dealt and strive to make the most of them. Yes, life can be seen as a game as well. However, you must participate to win.
To conclude, don’t live in the past; instead, look forward rather than backward. Recognize that you are not alone; everybody, whether they realize it or not, faces difficult challenges.
