Happiness in the Midst of Problems

Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them.  -Washington Irving 

As we grow older we come to understand that adversity is a part of life.  Trouble, problems, frustrations, and disappointments come to us all.  Understanding this truth is not being cynical, but rather it’s confronting a cold, hard, reality.  Our common tendency is to be surprised and sometimes even shocked that something bad has happened to us, as if those trials should never come at all.  Do you ever feel this way?  If so you are in good company.  Most people, me included, are surprised when trouble finds us. 

The inability to come to terms with life’s struggles can create some serious obstacles to our happiness and peace of mind.  We can feel overwhelmed, distracted, worried, and fearful to the point that the simplest pleasures lose their appeal.  Our sleep is disrupted, food loses its taste, and we have trouble enjoying ourselves because we are always thinking about our problems.  The challenge is to confront our problems while at the same time maintain a level of peace, joy, and happiness.  That is a challenge, to be sure, but it can be accomplished.  Consider these strategies for maintaining peace and happiness in the midst of problems:

• Do something out of the ordinary.  Often we get so bogged down in our day-to-day routines that we forget that we are allowed to do something different.  Seek out a park in your area where you rarely go or have never been and take a long walk.  Bring along your dog; he or she will love it!  Pack a lunch and make an afternoon of it.  Visit an art museum in your town.  Visit your public library and check out some books by an author you have never read.  Such experiences expand our horizons and help us to see our problems in a more positive light.
  

• Take a break from your problems.  You may not be able to take a vacation from your problems, but you can surely find time to take a break from them.  Resolve that while you are at the park, the movies, out to dinner, walking the dog, reading a new novel, or visiting your grandkids, that you will not think about your problems during that time.   

• Learn to think in “big picture” terms.  The present problem may look bleak, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world.  Try to see beyond the problem to a time when it has past.  Resolve to confront the problem, whatever it may by, in a mature fashion.  Take a deep breath and envision a brighter day that is surely coming.
  

• Learn to count your blessings every day.  We all have problems, but we also have blessings.  Take time to think about these and be thankful for them all over again. 

Life is hard, but it doesn’t have to defeat us.  We can have happiness in the midst of our troubles. 

It’s going to be a great day!