This is me sending warmth, love, light and hugs to every person who has been down lately. Life has a way of hitting us hard even in the happiest moments. Well, it's all part of the hurdles. My friend would say, “All is well” whenever she hits a cross road. I remember this same phrase being used in a popular movie years back –“The Three Idiots”. Although I have quite vague memories of the movie as it's been a long time. It was an Indian comedy movie, if I remember correctly. They would say it whenever they (characters) were expecting or desperately needed a miracle. “All is well”. It was a way to keep them calm In those dying minutes instead of pacing to and fro aimlessly. Surprisingly, the miracle will happen. Of course, that's in the movies. In reality things may not always pan out that way but still, it's a way of keeping hope alive. In the course of keeping hope alive, it is best to do so with an open mind as the outcome may not always be positive.
What prompted this write up – I came across a WhatsApp channel post, it was a voting poll that gave options, it read a caption “how are you feeling today?”
It had five polls to vote.
a.)Happy
b.)Sad
c.)Somewhere in the middle
d.)Depressed
e.)Not sure
Sad and depressed had the highest votes. In a world of smiley faces, they're heavy hearts and eyes that cry themselves to sleep each night.
Why is there so much unhappiness in the world, does it really have to be so? At that point I wished I could take people's hurt away, make them feel and experience genuine happiness even for a minute. On second thoughts, what's the point of having to not worry about anything for a minute when you can't have it forever or often. Maybe to just know what it feels like.
In Pidgin language they say, “wahala no dey finish”, meaning trouble never ends. You solve one and another immediately pops up. As humans, problems are inevitable but we have the free will to decide how much it affects and gets to us.
Happiness is a choice, but this doesn't mean we should suppress our problems to a supposed extinction, because somehow, they'll resurface and hit you hard to depression. My best approach is you accept the situation, access it, see the bright side, see the lesson in it and try approaches that will help you out and not focusing on what you would have done to not have the problem in the first place. It has happened and it's right in front of you so make progress and not retrogress by looking in the rearview mirror. Think of ways to come out of it or make it better. In cases where a situation cannot be changed, accept it and find a coping mechanism instead of dwelling on “had I knowns”.
Keep a positive mental attitude. Emphasis on positive mental attitude. We often overlook our mental health by chesting every problem forgetting the slow creeping long term side effect. I'm a fan of therapy, talking to someone who will help you through a phase so you don't have to bear the weight alone. If we don't seek the necessary help, it may change who we are, sometimes changing us to less nicer versions of ourselves.
I'm not really a people person but I do have a thing for helping people especially those who are suffering silently and mask their feelings behind smiles, jokes, deflection, sarcasm, distractions etc. I'm a keen observer and notice the most tiny details about a person. The feeling when you give someone a listening ear to voice all that is weighing them is priceless. Sometimes they just need to vent, you don't necessarily have to do anything but listen.
Be kind to the next person! You never know the weight they carry and how your little kind words or gesture may brighten their day and keep them alive. Also, don't forget to smile!
LOVE AND LIGHT
All images are mine
