Usually when I get into a funk thinking how bad things are, I see something that reminds me of how blessed I am personally compared to the really “bad things” that are happening around the world.
The conditions some children of the third-world countries face daily are unfathomable. They are born into a world that most American children can’t even imagine. Some are sold into prostitution, slavery, forced into labor camps, malnourished, and otherwise given over to dark satanic forces. This is the only life they know from childhood and even beyond.
Many countries have corrupt governments and next to no policing, so there is literally nowhere or no one to turn to for justice. Those who have money can buy themselves out of crimes against children, no matter what the charge. Organizations and individuals are able to commit the most horrific crimes against women and children and there is no one to stop them.
"Google" topics such as child prostitution, child trafficking, child slavery, child abandonment and see what you find. Look at countries like India, Cambodia, Philippines, Viet Nam, Sudan, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Darfur, and the list goes on and on. Do you want to see what having a tough time is really like? Try living in a place where there is constant war and/or persecution.
Imagine also how frustrating it is for those on the front lines that are trying to make a dent in suffering around the world. The problems are so deep and full of despair that they appear to be virtually insurmountable. If you knew that at your best you only had a teaspoon to offer and you needed the Indian Ocean to solve the problem, what would keep one going?
It’s like a huge pink elephant standing in your living room, and it has been there for quite some time: how could one possibly get rid of it? Perhaps they start by taking one bite at a time, never thinking about how long it would take to eat the whole thing. Completion may not happen in their lifetime, but at least they might realize that they would be making some small amount of progress each day.
All one can ever do is their own personal best and then leaving the rest to its own conclusion. Obviously there are much more powerful forces in the universe that are ultimately in control.
Now that you see the big picture, bring your concentration back to your immediate situation. How bad is life for you personally compared to the really bad stuff? It may not make you feel better knowing that many are suffering much worse than you are, but it should help put things in their proper perspective.
No matter how bad things may be for you at the present time, time you just have to toil through each day doing your best and know that once you have given it your best the rest is not in your hands. This is called faith. Faith is the substance of things unseen.
Looking back over life most of us have seen both good days and a share of the bad ones. There may have even been bad times that you thought would never end, but eventually they did and you are still here.
Realizing these sort of trends to be true about life one can only say to themselves in the midst of the next storm, “This, too, shall pass.” Though it may not make your problems go away or even make you feel better, it does guide you into the future, where hope remains alive. One day even hope will burn out because that too is the way of life. Even death is certain for us all, but as long as we keep hope alive, in the moment, we should treasure what we have.
In nearly every life there will come a time when one needs an adult pacifier. Although it will not take the misery away, it gives one a moment to reposition their minds in such a way that they will be moved forward to that place where hope lives. As bad as it gets, try to always keep hope alive because one never quite knows what the future may bring.
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