Could Be Worse

Jack Benny once said: 

I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either.

Sometimes, things happen to us that we don't deserve. And for most of us, in the midst of it, we wonder why it is happening to us and think absolutely nothing could be worse. I even feel this way sometimes. And, then, Oh No! You find out how you were wrong! It can always be worse! Hopefully, you find out empathetically rather than it actually happening to you.

It usually makes good sense to try to put everything into perspective. Or, see circumstances relative to what other people are going through. You know the old adage: what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger. Well, there you have it! Other people may die by what you are going through, so, lucky you! You have been made stronger!
The only problem is, new things happen to us and we are only as good as our ability to eventually see past it. I have had situations in the past that really stressed me out. I hoped that one day, I would not be as stressed out when similar occurences happened in the future. And, for the most part, I believe I have mellowed a bit and don't react as strongly to adversity as I did in the past. That is one of the few great things about getting older and wiser. You actually see that things could be worse, so you don't react as strongly.
Make it a point to try and see past trials and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Because, it is always there, but it may just be a long tunnel.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

- Oscar Wilde

Ambition

Friedrich Nietzsche said:

Either you reach a higher point today, or you exercise your strength in order to be able to climb higher tomorrow.

Now, it has been a while since I have encountered the name Machiavelli, but the next quote that struck me was by Machiavelli. So, I quickly consulted my friend, Wikipedia, to refresh my memory. I remembered that he wrote "the Prince", of course, but could not remember why it was so significant at the time. I was surprised to find out in my reading that earlier in his life, he was a prominent political figure and later in life, he mostly wrote. He wrote both fiction (even some comedy) and political related works (his attempt to remain in politics).
Anyway, to the point, Machiavelli rejected Christian principles of modesty and virtue. He believed in providence and even saw "ambition, spiritedness, and the pursuit of glory as good and natural things, and part of the virtue and prudence that good princes should have"
Amazingly, in reading, I discovered that a lot of the principles of government he advocated are still true today.
Thankful to the important people who have gone before that believed in ambition and spiritedness, because without them, we may not have the gratification of pursuing our ambitions freely.

Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.

- Niccolo Machiavelli

Oh, and keep on dreaming and working towards a higher goal.

Unhappy People

Bertrand Russell said:

Whenever one finds oneself inclined to bitterness, it is a sign of emotional failure.

I like that line of thinking. It makes me realize that the bitter person is the crazy one, not you. It is not emotionally healthy to constantly be finding fault in others. I would much rather find the good in people, anyway.

Simone Weil said:

Those who are unhappy have no need for anything in this world but people capable of giving them their attention.

This is advice that could have served me well earlier in life. Even my five year old knows to ignore "not nice" people. Why dignify someone that clearly cannot find reason within themselves to be content in life?

And on a final note, Charles J. Ingersoll stated:    

Anger blows out the lamp of the mind. In the examination of a great and important question, every one should be serene, slow-pulsed, and calm.

 I like that one. Anger makes you dumb. I couldn't agree more! So, stay calm, and don;t let anger or unhappiness be your trademark or people won't be able to take you seriously.

Refill, please.

Helen Keller said:

No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.

 I've been giving thought to the old glass half empty/glass half full debate and decided that it made no sense, because if your glass is only half full/empty, you could just ask for a refill. So, being pessimistic just does not pay off. It is really just based on the premise that you are too cowardly to ask for what you believe you deserve.

Vincent van Gogh said:

Great things are not something accidental, but must certainly be willed.

This type of thinking is probably why Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists. He never made money on his work during his lifetime and he lost an ear along the way, but he still believed that he was doing something great. He willed himself to be regarded as an important artist.

Colleen C. Barrett proclaimed:

Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.

So, I'm going to end the glass half full debate by saying, that your attitude matters. We can all stand to be a little more positive. And, when you can't, just go get a refill of "positivity".