Finding Joy in a World of Losses

Everything that lives in this world will die. That is a fact of life. From the moment we are born we begin a journey that ends the same for every human being. And along the way, we will lose many, many things. Time, loved ones, beloved pets, material gains… So in the midst of so much loss, how do we, how can we persist and thrive?

You have noticed by now how different people are. Some are bubbly and upbeat much of the time, while others are sullen and negative. Most of us live somewhere in between. So how is it some people cope so much better with life’s ups and downs than others? Why does handling adversity seem to come so much easier to some people?

Let’s say for argument’s sake that everyone has a choice how they respond to life. And, once we truly embrace that belief, we can make different choices to affect different responses. When someone insults you or hurts you, spend a brief time examining what was really hurtful to you and why. Then address it, if necessary, and put it behind you. When someone dies, address it through your grief and embrace the healing. At the same time, proactively seek joy in the face of adversity, even if in tiny amounts. If you believe you will see your loved ones again one day, then reinforce that with activities that promote your beliefs. If you believe at the end of this life there is nothing else, then embrace the peace of that finality. In both cases allow joy back into your life with a certainty born of your own beliefs. 

There is a saying that if you go looking for trouble, you will most surely find it. And I would offer the same prophesy for attaining joy. Try it. Try a different way. Seek peace, healing and joy in the midst of pain and adversity. Allow yourself to embrace your mortality by filling in your fears with joy instead of fear. Will it be easy? Probably not. But it is possible. 

John Pete is the founder of www.MyGriefSpace.net