A couple of quotes that I’ve had laying around from some time seem to point to the same thing – that one cannot and should not try to avoid the hardships in life but strive to overcome them.
“A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.” (Helen Keller)
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” (Dolly Parton)
Those who spend their lives avoiding anything that might bring hardship often end up living really boring and unsatisfying lives. They never try things that they fear – a fear created by their own imaginations most of the time – and thus miss out on some of life’s great rainbow moments of success and pleasure.
Many people interviewed after overcoming great adversity or mastering some great challenge report that they have never felt “so alive” as in those moments. Whether you attribute that to an adrenalin rush or to the flush of success doesn’t matter, they are rainbow moments in their lives.
A life carefully crafted to avoid hardships becomes bland and seamless. Instead of a mantra of “we shall overcome” they follow the rule “we will not participate”. One cannot even achieve contentment living such a life because they must always be on guard to avoid imaginary confrontations, dangers, or hardships. They are hiding from life rather than living it. For them the rain never stops, and the rainbow never appears.
Sure, the rain will fall in the lives of those who do participate; however, those who chose to overcome the hardships will get to see the rainbows in life. So, maybe, one should not pray to God to help you avoid life’s hardships; but, rather, pray that God give you the strength and perseverance to overcome them and show you the rainbows.
With God’s help, master the hardships life throws at you. Live a happy life. See the rainbows.
Posted by Norm Werner 
things in the news, since the news media thinks we want to see and hear about the misfortunes of others, or at least the sensational bad things that happen in the world around us. In our daily lives both good and bad things happen all around us and we choose which we will focus upon. We encounter people as we go through the day and we can choose to greet them with suspicion and cynicism or with a smile and an open mind.
ion of this approach
So, instead of spending any more time dwelling on that past incident, take the advice of today’s little quote and distance yourself from that and all negative things. Focus instead on finding the beautiful things that are also happening in your life. Meet someone new and perhaps make a new friend. Try something new and perhaps discover a new passion. Look for the rainbows in life and not the dark clouds
is to be thankful for the things that we have – the blessings that we have received – and not to focus upon the thunderstorms of life, the trials and tribulations that we may have been through. A point well taken is that we are through those thunderstorms, still standing, and able to see the rainbow on the other side.
me?” It’s as if the death of someone else was purposely allowed to happen just to cause us pain. We may doubt God or question our faith during such times.
certainly OK to have goals and aspirations in life and some of those may involve getting to a position where you can have certain things that you don’t now have, for instance a first home or a new car; however, not having those things right now should not be considered to be a problem or thunderstorm in your life. Rather they represent rainbows that you haven’t gotten to yet. Focus on the persistence and perseverance that you need and keep a positive attitude and you will one day see those rainbows, too.
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