Attitude: The Joy of Pain and the Sunshine after the Rain
... succeed. He used to tell me that no matter what cards life deals to me, to remain strong because what doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger. “In a world without hurdles, there are no champions; without suffering, there are no saints; without battles, there are no victories; without rain, no rainbows. Doesn’t it appear that a world that includes pain is more rewarding than one that doesn’t?” (http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/adversity.htm) This quote speaks on the appreciation of tough times in order to recognize the beauty of festive or happy occasions. Here’s how Henry Ford, famous inventor, expressed the same sentiment: “Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grievances which we endure help us in our marching onward.” (http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/adversity.htm) When I experience hard knocks (i.e.- in school or financially), my attitude is to not get upset or down. Instead, I elect to accept it and persevere knowing that I will emerge from the situation on top. Earlier this summer we had a discussion topic that addressed denial as a coping strategy and the negative effects associated with this coping mechanism. Whenever hardships surface, running away from the situation can serve as a detrimental tool that only makes matters worse because the matter or problem is never addressed. “Although pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. We can choose to be strong. It is not misfortune that produces suffering, but an improper reaction to it.” http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/adversity.htm) For me, the best way to overcome unfortunate times is to know that God will not induce upon me more adversity than I can handle. Also, I know that bad times are short-lived as long as I remain optimistic and know that I will come out on top in the end. Providing a personal testimony on the value of maintaining a positive attitude, I (as I currently write this paper) am financially strained right now and have fallen behind on some of my monthly bills. I know that my family is financially strapped, and that they are unable to assist me with my debts. I admit that when I first anticipated that I was going to fall behind on my bills, I began to worry and stress a little because I did not want my credit rating to drop. More importantly, I was tense about making ends meet with food, gas, and necessary groceries. In addition, handling the daily rigors of school (i.e.-tests, group projects, and overall long days) were all compounding into one stressful cluster. At the beginning of this summer, I was frustrated and down a little bit because I did not know how I was going to be able to generate funds to pay my bills and buy groceries. At this moment, the program is my number one priority; however, it was hard to focus solely on school without thinking about my financial problem. For a quick second I even began to ponder the idea of transferring schools and taking the remainder of time out of school to work and try to save up money. My pride and desire to finish out the program here, as well as my attitude to persevere and not quit, has allowed me to continue to strive toward concluding this summer semester on a strong note and continue to perform well academically. I have made it to July 7, with roughly 2 weeks left and I am determined to make this my best semester yet. I actually started working at the mall last week to generate income so that I will have money to handle m...