different people deal with hardship in different ways. i used to think that when someone experiences a great hardship in life, though it may be a particularly trying time for them, after they get through it, they are a better person because of it. maybe it develops a strength in their character, maybe it matures them, maybe it gives them a new perspective on life.
but more and more i’m beginning to realize that this is not the case. just because you experience hardship doesn’t mean that you will necessarily learn anything from it, nor will you be a better person…in fact, it may just make you more jaded, cynical, and unpleasant than ever before.
i think that it is a matter of perspective. some of us feel that we are owed certain things in life and if we don’t get these things, the world is wrong. it’s hard for me to understand how people can walk around thinking that the whole world is out to get them, that there is some kind of implicit conspiracy against them and that the design of the world is created in such a fashion that it is against them. what kind of grand design would it require to have the world specifically targetted to make your life miserable?
how you deal with hardship, how you deal with situations really shape the perceptions of one’s world. it’s a shame to see people disappointed with what they’ve got and believe that they have no control to make things better for themselves.
life certainly isn’t fair. some people seem to live a charmed life always getting what they want while others seem to be constantly hitting up against some form of bad luck.
the way i see it is more about how you handle the hand that you’re dealt. yes, it’s true that you may have pai gow, but you still want to play it the best way you can so that it increases your chances of success. it may not guarantee it, but if we were all to just quit because things aren’t going our way would we really have anything left to aspire to?
do you really want to set your expectations so low that you never expect anything from anyone so you are never disappointed? do you never set goals for yourself because you don’t want to be disappointed? so what are you left with? just a shell of a life and a shadow of what you once were. sure you’ll never be disappointed, but you’ll never be excited about life either.
What happens when luck and life just deal you several bad hands, and you continue to play because you figure it’s just got to get better. The house keeps taking your money and at the end of the day, you’re flat broke.