One often wonders why some people show no trace of having weathered a storm, while others have chaos oozing from every millimetre of their presence. Perhaps the former have deep pockets to store trauma. Or perhaps they simply leave no storage space for pain, refusing to let it find a resting place in their lives.
The tempests came, blew fiercely, and passed. Soon after, they straightened up and shut the door on any memory that could etch a blotch into their existence.
I often run into a woman who seems comfortably settled, always lending a patient ear to anyone struggling with far smaller issues. Few know she lost a young child, then the family business, and finally her home. She is still piecing her life back together with unflinching faith, yet no one has ever seen her sigh. This is stoic power.
When she speaks of her child, she recalls only the joy they shared—the affable connection, the bond. How brave is the person who never reaches out for sympathy, who refuses to darken someone else’s day with their own grief, yet remains gracious enough to cheer out loud for others, knowing those laurels will never be part of her own bounty?
Contrast this with the many who are completely blind to their blessings, unaware of the vast basket Providence has handed them. They remain fixated on inconsequential dark spots: I was shortchanged here. That person gave me a rough time. This relationship is a punishment. I’ve forgotten how to smile.
{{/usCountry}}Contrast this with the many who are completely blind to their blessings, unaware of the vast basket Providence has handed them. They remain fixated on inconsequential dark spots: I was shortchanged here. That person gave me a rough time. This relationship is a punishment. I’ve forgotten how to smile.
{{/usCountry}}We hear these complaints constantly. Must there always be a specific reason to feel happy?
In truth, happiness flows in the moment we stop burdening it with conditions. Even the best people have a flawed side—they cheat, betray, or let us down. It is human to err, but it is equally human to rise above the situation and mend broken trust. It matters less how badly something shattered, and more how well you can repair it.
The greatest favour you can do for yourself is to erase unpleasant memories. Beyond self-inflicted torture, keeping them serves no purpose. When a bond breaks, you suffer a setback; if you nurture the wound, you simply allow it to fester until it becomes untreatable.
To take bigger leaps in life, you must learn to travel light. Looking back, you might marvel at everything you have overcome, survived and surpassed. But if the battle was won heroically, why dwell on those who opposed or hurt you? In a way, they played a part in your victory—by conceding defeat, they revealed your strength.
The aura of a benevolent human being is magnetic enough to open doors effortlessly. Why shrink your power by focusing only on what went missing from your bounty?
The writer is a Chandigarh-based freelance contributor and can be reached at bubbutir@yahoo.com