No matter how difficult the circumstance, life always offers the better option. you have to choose it
No matter how difficult the circumstance, life always offers the better option.u00a0 you have to choose it
A story I heard recently goes like this. A wealthy old man died, leaving behind two young sons. The old man had been quite notorious as a womaniser and a gambler, although he had built his riches with hard work in his youth.
Years later, a news reporter who had been following the old man's life and his sons' also, decided to interview both of them on their take on life.
It emerged that one of the sons had grown to be a womaniser, squandering whatever little he had inherited from his father, whereas the other son had built up his own business house and funded several charity institutions with the proceeds. He was also looking after his old mother apart from a family of his own.
The reporter was curious and wanted to know why the sons had drifted apart in terms ofu00a0 their lifestyle. The answer was intriguing because both sons stated their father as their sole motivation. The wayward son said he had watched his father in his growing-up years and inevitably became irresponsible and infamous like his father.
The noble son said he had heard how his father had worked hard burning the midnight oil during the initial years of his business and had built a well-known business empire, and had emulated him.
Making a choice
The crux of the story is that we have the choice to make the most of any situation in life and it is for us to choose the better option if we desire to make life meaningful for ourselves and for those around us. The better option is that which gives us true happiness, contentment in having taken it and sincere joy deep inside our heart.
More than a decade back, when my friend found that her marriage was not working out despite her best attempts, she naturally got into introspection mode: Why it happened to her, how she could have avoided the pain had she not agreed to the marriage in the first place and so on. But soon, she realised the value of life ahead of her and decided to give it value. She then consented to legally separate from her husband, sparing heartbreak to both of them.
A warm person at heart, she longed to share her life with someone but decided against a remarriage. She then adopted a baby and brought her up, believing that the baby was a gift of love from God himself. Presently, the two of them share a bond which belies the very fact of adoption. My friend is grateful to God for this turn in life, which notwithstanding the grief it caused her initially, turned out in her favour when she took the better option. She terms adoption as an adorable option.
Stop and think
We don't need to look around much to see how disappointments, failures and hardships break people. Otherwise good-natured individuals become bitter in their attitude and relationships with others when life seems unfair to them. Some even give up their life when they feel overwhelmed by challenges.
Yet, it requires only a moment of serious reflection to realise that life is precious and a gift in itself. Also, it is worth remembering that the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way.
For those who struggle with making positive changes in their life, the following suggestions should help.
>>Accept the reality of the current situation: If I want to improve my personality and fitness levels, I need to accept that I am overweight or unhealthy or weak or whatever may be the case. Only when I am comfortable with the reality, can I look to improving it.
>>List all possible and available options to tackle the situation: For the above example of achieving better health, we can consider walking, exercising, dieting, jogging or getting into a formal arrangement like a gym or even medication for weight reduction.
>>Analyse all the options and choose the most noble, beneficial and comfortable one: Again, considering the above example of getting fitter, time and money constraints may not favour a gym enrolment, while medication may be expensive needless to mention the side effects. Walking around the block provides opportunities to meet up with neighbours apart from being with nature.
>>Just act and with persistence, the better option becomes a part of life: So instead of cursing the darkness, we could light a candle which will dispel the darkness not just around ourselves but those around us. Surely, we owe it to ourselves to live responsibly and happily for our own sake and for the sake of others.
