The above statement is certainly not true of all people, but, unfortunately, it is true of many.  Too many of us are unhappy throughout most of our lives. Perhaps part of the problem is that we expect too much from life. I don't think we can expect too much from life in the general sense, because life has so very much to offer.  However, we can certainly expect the wrong things.  If our primary goals are acquiring material things, achieving status, and avoiding heartache, then most of us will be disappointed with life.

Perhaps another problem is that many of us never learn how to deal adequately with pain and disappointment.  Life is hard, and pain is an inevitable part of it. We may feel that we have more than our fair share of trouble, and perhaps we do.  But we must deal with it.  Failure to face problems and deal with them is one of the greatest causes of long-term unhappiness. 

It is important to deal with problems as they come along and, once we have dealt with them, to put them behind us. Most of us can deal with almost anything life has to offer, if we deal with problems one by one. Some problems may seem to be more than we can handle, and we certainly need the help of others much of the time.  But we must try to find a way to deal with whatever problems come into our lives and then put these problems behind us as much as possible. If we leave too many problems unresolved, the burden soon becomes more than any of us can handle. 

We may be tempted to just shove our problems into the closet of our subconscious mind for the time being and deal with them later.  But if we put too many problems into the closet, every time we open the door to shove another one in, all our past problems will come tumbling down upon our heads.        

Many people find that having many interests and working to bring happiness to others helps in putting troubles behind them, once they have dealt with problems.  Focusing on the positive aspects of life also helps us to cope during difficult times.  But we can't always push negative thoughts from our minds with positive thinking. We all suffer pain from time to time.  And we have every right to grieve. Indeed, grief is a necessary part of dealing with pain.  But, just as there is a time when we need to grieve, there is also a time when we need to get on with our lives.  It's not easy.  But what other choice do we have? Is it better to be unhappy throughout our entire lives because we feel we have more than our fair share of periodic problems?  Or, does it make more sense to do our grieving each time it becomes necessary, and then once again try to focus on the positive aspects of life? 

Copyright 2014 Allen W. Smith

TB-67—Posted 06/09/2014