This one is for the person who has a hard time looking up. How you feel is real and I do not wish to discredit that. However, I have learned that life is all about perception. If you perceive your situation to be low-down, horrible, and insurmountable, just that it shall be.
But now, I urge you. You must learn to look up!
It’s not easy. It hasn’t been and it never will be. Face it, life is hard. There are so many things that could go wrong, but there are so many things that could go right. If you reflect on what life is really about, you will find the strength to look up and see the bright side. Life is about love, peace, and happiness. And really that’s what we pursue everyday, consciously and subconsciously.
Your drive to finish college comes from your ambition to be happy, essentially. We are taught that with a college degree, we can have an amazing career with a huge salary…the foundation for achieving the “best” lifestyle, right? Or what about that big house on the hill that you always dreamed of…I’d bet it’s peaceful. Even more, that burning desire to be admired by others for your intelligence, beauty, talent or possessions is an attempt at securing love and adoration (in those cases, it’s “false love,” but none-the-less a form of love). But guess what? There are people who have all those material things aforementioned and they are still unhappy!
I have witnessed it first-hand while living in Hollywood for four years. Lost souls, just searching. No matter how smart, how beautiful, how talented…
Why? Because they were missing the whole point of life. We must seek to be edified, not pacified. It’s like junk food and soda. When you fill up on things with no real substance, you remain hungry. But with real food, like greens, lean protein, and grains, you will be pleasantly satisfied. Simply put, God is real food. He edifies.
I challenge you to look around and assess your environment.
- Do you have someone who truly loves you? I think we all have a few people who truly do love us, whether we realize that or not. If you can’t name one person, I challenge you to name Jesus.
- Do you have a place where you find peace? Could be your room, your car, church, the gym.
- Do you have something that makes you completely happy? Lets exclude people from this. I mean an activity, a place or memory that brings you complete joy.
If you can answer “Yes” to at least one of those questions, in any aspect of your life, you are truly blessed. The essence of finding the strength to look up comes from GRATITUDE. Be grateful. Gratitude and hopelessness cannot co-exist. Do you agree?
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
As long as you have life in your body, you have the opportunity to change your circumstances, but you will not find the answer on the ground…LOOK UP.