I was reading a story recently of a woman who was basically an invalid until the Pearl Harbor strike. It took that horrific event for her to get out of her bed and stop wasting her life. Up until that day she had spent more than a year in bed with a “bad heart.” She spent 22 out of every 24 hours in bed and claims, “I would never have really lived again if the Japanese had not struck Pearl Harbor and jarred me out of my complacency.”
The part that really disturbs me is when she says, “The attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the greatest tragedies in American history, but as far as I was concerned, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
One of the best things that ever happened to her? Really?
I can understand her comment only in the sense that it changed her life for the better. But to have all those people die in a catastrophe? That’s what it finally took to WAKE her up and start living her life?
She was even one of the lucky ones whose husband actually survived. So my question is this:
Why Does It Take Tragedy To Wake Us Up and Start Living?
Why can’t we wake ourselves up and see the beauty around us and be grateful for the things we have rather than focus on the things we don’t, or worse, the illness we suffer?
My only answer is:
Boredom and Needing to Feel Useful and Appreciated
When one is bored or complacent with life, or they feel completely neglected, not useful or appreciated . . . there is little joy in their existence even when it might seem they have it all.
Natural disasters, wars, death, or illness seem to be the only things that wake us up and make us truly appreciate when things aren’t dire. In addition, and this woman mentioned this too, excitement. She was excited!! She was excited by the attack and that forced her up and out of bed as she began to assist those around her who needed her. (Which goes along with the old cure for depression—focus on others and your own life will improve.)
So my challenge to you is this:
Can you CREATE some excitement in your life without the NEED for something tragic happening to feel it? Can you help, assist or simply brighten someone’s day with a smile, compliment or conversation and see what kind of joy that brings you rather than WAIT for something to jar you out of any complacency you might be feeling?
I know a man who recently passed away from a gigantic fight with cancer. He was brave, resolute, calm and positive. And even with the pain he endured and the fact that in the end, he didn’t survive, he never wavered in his strength of will and positive attitude.
Personally, when the little stupid things in life start to try to get me down now I think of him. And I think about how much he would give for just ONE more day on this beautiful earth with the people he loved and even more so ONE more day to live it without the pain he went through.
Most of us have aches and pains and stresses. They can be overwhelming. But they can also be put in perspective. And the best way to do that is to live in day-tight compartments. SEE the forest through the trees. STOP and smell the roses. LOOK UP at the beautiful blue sky, or even enjoy the raindrops on your face as they fall.
Take a deep breath and think maybe that THIS moment is way better than a tragedy. That THIS moment is worth being awake, alert and alive for!
Read How to Stop Worrying and Start Living if you need more inspiration.
If you’re bored and you simply don’t know how to get out of the “funk” you might be in, and you’d rather not have another Pearl Harbor happen to get out of it—I might suggest you start with FINDING YOUR PASSION.
Please leave me a comment below or contact me directly if you want help doing this.
Your friend,
Kat
NurturingYourBody.com
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