I dunno if it is bcos i'm studying social work now that i'm exposed to this process of struggling. and i'm not talking about only myself. As i talk to the people around me and start to find out more about their lives, one fact that strikes me strongly is, all of them are struggling! With some issues in their lives, at different stages of their lives. Well, of cos the fact that everyone of us struggles is not new...however, how people cope with their struggles is amazing. It is like, you'll never get silver if it has not been thru fire! People who are resilient in times of struggles or suffering inspires me. Stories of how they overcame their struggles and emerge not necessarily victorious, but as a more wholesome and stronger individual. It is said that the "testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -Jas 1:3-4
sometimes, we are not just struggling with our struggles. We struggle with the consequences of our struggles! Let say we fall into a deep hole and struggle to get out. So we keep jumping. After many tries, we find ourselves still in darkness. So we finally give up. We begin to think. We begin to feel afraid. Perhaps at this time, we will hear 2 different voices. "Oh, I am doomed. I think i can only wait to die here." OR " I am not going to die just like that. I wanna live!" Which thought will cause us the most struggle?
and if u just look ard u, how many u know are struggling? and how many u don't know are struggling? Are the NUMBERS staggering?
Emotionally, financially, physically, psychologically, socially, politically, culturally and spiritually.
All of us struggle. All of us may struggle with one or a few things, but we'll all struugle. There's no running away from. And why do we struggle?
Most of the time, it is bcos what we face is beyond what we can cope/ what we do not have is more than what we have/ what we want is not what we have/ what we need is not within reach/ what we desire is far away and lastly, what we hate is near.
okay, so we all cant escape from struggles...so what do we do?
" I can't help how i feel but i can help how i act."
i think of all the defense mechanisms i possibly know, that's the best.
i cant tell u how u can stop struggling bcos i don't know the answer too. No one can take away ur struggles, if u dont allow it to be taken from u. if u struggle with depression,and yet do not believe you will recover, will you ever be freed of depression?
You are struggling not bcos you are weak
You are struggling, for that's what will make you stronger.
At this pt, i dunno what i wanted to drive at when i decided to blog abt struggling. I guess i'm struggling with my brain now. ha.
Perhaps i just wanna encourage those of u who may be struggling in your lives now, regardless of what issues u are having internal conflicts abt, do not lose hope. Perservere! Hope that better things will come ur way! Clinche as it may sound -the rainbow appears only after the rain. In the midst of the rain, hope for the sun's rays.
Hope.
Perhaps one of the greatest and most powerful gift from God.
With hope, all things become beautiful.
Without hope, there is no life.
ps: in case u think i am asking u to hope for the impossible, no. I cant really tell u what not to hope for, for i believe in miracles. what i can say is that, Hope or hoping is not about getting or achieving what u dont have. Hope or hoping is about passionately living life to the fullest while u are waiting for better things to unfold in ur life. in short, it means, Live In Hope (LIH).
and i hope u'll move from Struggling----------> Hope
disclaimer: ok....in case u think some of the concepts here are copied from some psy or social work books, they are not. except for the quotes which are not mine, the rest of the content here are carefully thought thru based on my own experiences and learning. of cos, it is subjective. =)
