Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Dealing with Hardships: Patience, Perseverance, and Compassion



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Several of my close friends that I've talked to recently are dealing with difficult trials. Each own is completely unique, and I would bet that most of us wouldn't want to trade places or exchange our own hardships for the ones on their plates. I want to share some of my favorite quotes/sayings/statements that inspire me and put a spark of hope in my heart when I'm going through particularly rough circumstances.

I definitely have a bad habit of sometimes looking at another person and having a false illusion of how great their situation is, when in reality, they could be going through things I could never handle.  It's easy for me to feel like my load is too much to bear, and wonder, "Why can't I have their life?" 

I will always remember a conversation I had with a coworker at one of my previous jobs. There was another girl we worked with who seemed to have it all: hot husband, great body, incredible looks, sleek luxury car, prestigious roots, etc. My coworker said, "I just want her life." When she said that to me, I found it interesting, because although this girl did, on the surface, seem to have an enviable life, I always sensed an element of sadness about her. Something in her countenance struck me as unhappy or unfulfilled. A couple of years later, in another state, I ran into this girl at a social gathering of mutual friends. I hadn't spoken to her in over a year and a half, and I was curious to see how she was doing. She related to me how her marriage had always been troubled and she had suffered through it for a long time, but finally couldn't deal with pain anymore. I immediately thought about the statement our former colleague had made to me, and in that moment I realized that I really never should judge a book by its cover. 

There will always be situations out there where "the grass seems greener on the other side." No matter how incredible their situation may seem compared to yours, my advice is to have compassion in your heart for them, and be kind. I believe we should heed the advice Atticus Finch gives to his daughter Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird:

"You really never understand a  person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."


 

6 comments:

  1. I love this post! So true. It's hard not to want to switch lives for a day sometimes, and even if you know it's false advertisement on the outside, this is always a good reminder. I especially love all the quotes!

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    1. Thank you girlie! I appreciate that. Yes indeed...there are definitely days when I see people's pics on Instagram or read posts on FB and think, hmmm, I'd switch with them. But I know we each need to live our own lives and focus on being the best we can! Thanks for being awesome. xoxo

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  2. Great words! I think it is so important to realize that life is what you make it and you choose to be happy with what you have! Tough times are difficult but looking to someone else's life with jealousy doesn't do anything for yourself!

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  3. You make great points! Thanks for this!
    P.S. I love all of the quotes at the top!!!

    neon-adventure.blogspot.com

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  4. Hi Liz! I can't tell you just how much I relate to this post and how timely it is that I'm reading it now. I have a habit of always falling into the trap of comparing my life with that of others, constantly thinking that my situation is so much worse that others. There's a saying that I love that says, "Comparison is the thief of joy", and I believe this so much. I just have to remind myself of how much I believe it when I'm having those weak moments. Thanks so much for this, I really needed it today. www.stushigalstyle.com

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  5. I really enjoyed reading this! I think we all need a reminder every-now-and-again that things are certainly not greener on the other side! The quotes were also a nice added touch :)
    www.dashofhealthy.com

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