There is hope for you!

The weekend is finally here….

Maybe you have heard that the weather can sometimes influence your mood? The grey, cloudy sky and high humidity can negatively affect your feeling, even your ability to concentrate. I certainly felt gloomy from the stormy and rainy days that we experienced last week. I was totally downbeat. I made me think of all problems I am dealing with recently.

That reminded me of one day when I felt so hopeless a few years ago. It was a similar mental breakdown. I felt like my time has run out. To cheer myself up, I went to see some flower fields. In particular, I went to tulip fields because it was spring. I never knew that I could learn so much from the soft and gentle flowers. I hope that this post will give you a fresh look on life.

The fields were located in Lisse, the Netherlands. They were magnificent! The whole view looked like a collection of colorful carpets that gracefully covered the ground. Each field had lines of long flower beds. Tourists, domestic and international, were enjoying walking through the fields and busy with capturing the moment with their camera.

So what did I learn?

• It’s all about perspective. I have a thing for perfection. I strive for it; sometimes up to the point where I cannot enjoy many things in life. Maybe you have heard the expression of half-empty cup or half-full cup? It is all about perspective. That is to say that the level of difficulty of a problem that we are dealing with depends on how we think about it. For example, I used to think that I had nothing, that I was pathetic, because I lived in a small apartment. However, when I pondered upon it, my situation was actually getting better. Prior to moving into the apartment, I had lived in a student dormitory. I had had to share the kitchen, TV room and bathroom with other students. Once I lived in my own apartment, I could have all those to myself. So I guess things were not that bad after all.

Do you see perfection or imperfection?

• Stop comparing yourself with others.
  Be it your friends, siblings, colleagues or neighbors or any random strangers in the street. It does not matter if you are a little bit (or a lot) different from them. What matters is that you use all your qualities to fulfill your purpose.

Your position works in your favor.

The tulips that grew scattered around the ditch, probably thrown away by the farmers, were just as beautiful as those in the flower bed. In fact, their location gives them two advantages. One, they were closer to the water source which is crucial for healthy growth. Second, these “abandoned” tulips did not have to share minerals from the ground with so many other tulips, unlike those that grew in the flower beds.

Therefore, instead of comparing yourself to others, thinking that you are not as smart as this person or not as pretty as that girl, or not as rich as the other person, you can always focus your energy on things that make you a happier and better person. Or you can use your time on things that inspire you, that improve your personal qualities. To keep things in balance, you need so be honest with yourself about your weaknesses too.

• Be grateful. Being thankful helps relieve the burdens on your mind when you are struggling with difficulties. It reminds you that there are good people, good things around you. It encourages you to think positively. Appreciate every little thing that you have, in spite of how insignificant they may seem. Appreciate those people who helped you, who stood by you, who were with you when you needed them the most. Remember what John Donne, the poet, said, “No man is an island.”

Appreciate those who are with you in good times and in bad times.

• Put your hope in the Lord.
  Just because we do not see the sun at night does not mean that the sun has disappeared from the galaxy. That only means that our planet rotates on its axis. It is similar to the blue sky. It is always there. It is the clouds that restrict our sight to see further.

Cheer up! There is hope for you.

You may see a dark sky today, but it will be a new day tomorrow. There is always hope for every one of us.

I wish you all a great weekend!

Lisse, Zuid Holland. The Netherlands. All pictures are mine.