The Ancient Greek philosopher, Seneca, shares this quote with us to let us all know a little bit about life…
“Things will be thrown at you and things will hit you. Life’s no soft affair.”
This is a simple quote but can tell you tons about life and what to expect. We all hope for the best in life and some of us even pray for the best, but there are no guarantees. “Wait 5and2Guy…isn’t this a a post about happiness?” Why yes it is, but we can’t experience joy and happiness if we don’t set some expectations about life and reality. If we can be realistic and accept life as it comes, we can find joy and happiness. But there is really only one guarantee in life…
The One Guarantee
The only guarantee we have in life is that it will end for each of us one day. Life is tough. It’s so tough that we won’t make it out alive. Hehe…that always makes me laugh, but it’s true. And it’s okay. Everything in life is temporary. From the food you eat, to the clothes you wear, to the life you live…it is ALL temporary. Sure it is everything to us because we are living it now, but there is no doubt…it is temporary. It is just a step to something else bigger and greater. At least that is my belief, and perhaps yours too.
We shouldn’t fear this guarantee, but embrace it. Use the time you have to do good things and bring joy to as many people as possible. Everyone needs some love and joy, because as Seneca said, “Things will be thrown at you and things will hit you.”
Life Doesn’t Care Who You Are!!!
Life doesn’t care if you are a man or woman, rich or poor, black or white, gay or straight. Life will throw things at you and some of those things will hit you and will hurt you. It could be a nail in your tire when you are flat broke…no pun intended. It could be a job you really wanted but didn’t get. It could be the loss of a loved one. None of these are desirable, nor easy. And no one is immune to them. It is for sure that good things will happen in our lives and bad things will happen in our lives. So what can we do???
We Can….
We can focus on being positive…being grateful for what we have. Enjoy each moment, one at a time, only looking to the future when planning is required. Soak up the good moments when they happen, and lean into the bad ones when they come. Find strength in your bonds with family, friends, and your faith. Understand that you can handle what life can throw at you because you understand life, happiness, and joy. You know it won’t always be great and you are prepared for the tough times.
Literally focus on each moment of your life. Don’t let the current moment get away because you are in your head, worrying about the past, or anticipating the future. We can live a life of joy and happiness by making each moment the best it can be, for ourselves and for others. Being grateful for what we have, or even had, can give us a whole new appreciation for life.
Final Thoughts
I know that some of the things in this post may seem a little sad. Unfortunately, life can be sad at times and you WILL experience some tough times. But you can combat these tough times with a sense of peace. You can surrender to the moment and accept it for what it is. You don’t have to be happy when bad things happen, but you can be at peace with them because you know the pain of the moment is temporary and life will go on.
By truly appreciating the things we have and the people in our lives, we can find happiness and joy. We can be thankful for the times we have and the times we have had. As Seneca said…
“Things will be thrown at you and things will hit you. Life’s no soft affair.”