Triumph through tribulation

Behind every cloud there is a silver lining. After rain, comes the sun. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Simple sayings to remind us things will get better.

Adversity introduces a man to himself. We acquire the strength we have overcome. There is no education like adversity.

Simple sayings to remind us difficult times help us grow.

A lotus flower grows from roots deep in mud. It must rise through the mud to grow. Only after this struggle is its true beauty revealed.

This is a beautiful thought, and can be a great analogy for life. But is it true? I think so.

The only good thing about an easy life is that it is easy. I have had difficulties and made many mistakes. But I don’t regret them; it is because of them that I have learned lessons and have become a stronger person.

At the moment, I am struggling. I have moved to a different country. I have no friends here. I have no job.  I have no money. I went from living with my mom, and grown up sister and brother to living with another brother and his three children. This in itself is a huge adaptation.

So how do I cope? When things seem just too hard to handle and I think I will never get over them, I remind myself that one day I will look back on this and it will seem so small.

But moving has already brought me to my first triumph. I have always had a fear of driving, so I kept on putting it off. Now I need a license, so I had to force myself to start taking lessons. It has been scary, and challenging. It has also given me a major sense of accomplishment. Even though I still have a long way to go, I know that I am working towards a goal. Even though I know it will take time and perseverance, I know that slowly but surely, I will become a confident driver.

It is the same with my living and work situation. Being alone so much has helped me get to know myself and understand what I really want in life. Being unemployed has given me the opportunity to really explore which direction I want to take my career in. And it gave me the chance to catch up on all the books and films and blogs I never got around to.

I am one of those people who look for the silver lining behind the many clouds in my life. I have to. It is how I stay sane. If I would only dwell on the negative, I would be one sad person. And who wants to be sad. One thing I remind myself of every day is to ALWAYS keep on smiling. A smile is so powerful. Even a forced smile will make me feel better. And as they say, fake it til you make it!

I use simple sayings to remind myself that life goes on, and that its adversities will make me strong. When I can’t find the strength or motivation in myself, I use the wisdom of others to keep me going.

And, when all else fails, I quote the great Scarlett O’Hara: “Tomorrow is another day.”.