We are born as the result of incredible series of events and begin breathing for a purpose which is difficult to comprehend. Our body is a magnificent machine which functions amazingly well with water, food and exercise. From the moment we begin this marvelous journey, there is only one absolute truth in life… One day we will pass to another place in a different time and space.
The way in which we pass is unknown and no one knows for sure if he or she will live for 8 minutes or 80 years. What is assured is our body will transform from its current shape and form. Yet the human body is extraordinary and can survive the incredible array of circumstances we face every day.
Think for a moment about all of the challenges you have faced in your life; economic difficulty, sickness, hunger, pain and the myriad of other situations and emotions. Regardless of how tough they were, you have survived to live and breathe for another day. This I can say because otherwise, you would not be here to read this today.
It’s easy to fall into the bottomless pit of anguish and desperation as we face life’s challenges. Our lives are full of circumstances which in time become the grains of sand which make our own beach of life. Some parts are soft and soothing while others are rough and ragged. As difficult as any situation may be in the moment, it normally is not a determining factor of how long we will live.
Think for a moment of a challenge you had previously and which has now been resolved in some way, shape or form. If you are normal, you may have pulled out your hair, imagined all the terrible consequences and become an emotional wreck. Then, as with everything in life, eventually the situation changed, though granted not always in the manner you would like.
What determines if we will survive does not generally depend on a specific problem, situation or challenge we face daily. Our life expectancy is determined by many factors, and while one is our emotional state of mind, this is a state which can be influenced positively with an optimistic and expectant attitude.
The time between birth and death consists of moments. Each of us determines if these will be magical or malignant. One option we can all choose when facing challenge is to quite simply say, “I will survive.”
Friedrich Nietzsche phrased it this way:
“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
This doesn’t mean we have to like and enjoy everything that happens to us. On the contrary, there will be horrible things which happen. Knowing we will survive can give us faith and courage to carry on and create new solutions to silly circumstances.
Not everything in life is wonderful, beautiful and bright. Knowing circumstance bothers yet seldom kills, permits us to flow and find new remedies instead of resist and desist. We will survive everything in life except for one thing, and that day will come when it will come. In the meantime, to each problem, inconvenience and challenge in life, we can simply say:
I will survive.
∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 33