I got tired of the feeling of discomfort. I grew weary of the pain associated with disappointment. I hated the tedious process of having to rebuild and reincorporate positivity into every fiber of my being only to have it expectorated, as one would experience when hawking a loogie onto a desolate slice of concrete in an alleyway. But above all, I hated the idea of having to accept things the way they were.
I refused to live a life of perpetual disconsolation.
Beginning last year, I decided to designate a theme that I would actively strive to put into full effect each and every day of that year. Last year, I selected the theme "Embracing Adversity". Little did I know, this would become a motif that I would develop to the extent that the concept behind such a radical idea would begin replacing every bygone sinew that I possessed back when I wasn't truly converted in mind, spirit and physique. Everything I once knew about myself was, over time, thrust into full panoramic view at the most difficult, and often inconvenient, of times.
But- because I kept my mind stayed upon the opulent blessings that would inevitably make their way into forming a new and improved version of who Aldavina Dos Santos was to become- I fully invested in this new feat.
Embracing adversity.
Hmm. Many of you are probably thinking about what this theme actually entails. Well. The idea of embracing adversity is essentially the idea of taking that piece of you that reacts to discomfort, disappointment, unhappiness, depressiveness, betrayal, dissatisfaction (and practically any other negative emotion you can think of) - crumbling it up into a ball of negative energy, and allowing it to dissipate into the atmosphere.
You'd find, in its place, a tranquil, unfamiliar, but quite secure sense of... vacancy.
So, what do you fill this vacancy with?
That's just it.. YOU don't fill up this vacancy. There is only One who can. This empty space is slowly filled with the complete opposite of every emotion listed above, but not by you, of course.
After my year of "Embracing Adversity" I learned a couple of things. The primary lesson being this: In this little thing called life, there are always going to be these things called problems, that will some way or another ALWAYS find their way into our lives. That is a given. And since this is a guarantee, why not find a way to ward off any negative emotions that will contribute to the degradation of our quality of living? I say this all the time and I'm going to reinforce it here. I have CHOSEN to live a life of unadulterated happiness. There is no one, or no THING that will pose as an obstacle in my life that I will allow to have any kind of control over me. So because I know that these bits and pieces of disparate adversities will find some kind of crevasse in order to infiltrate my life, through embracing these adversities, I am able to consciously stop for the moment and evaluate the situation. Before I let my emotions run rampant, I seek one thing out of every unfortunate circumstance, and that is simply by asking myself 3 questions:
1) Why and how is this particular circumstance inconveniencing me?
- Often, we tend to make miniscule setbacks into lifetime hindrances. Some things are really not that serious. Simply put? We need to stop worrying about nonfactor things, because these nonfactors WILL find a way to become a factor in causing a profound sense of perpetual unhappiness. If I still feel a bit worried about the situation, I then ask myself the following questions:
2) What are some ways that my character can be improved?
-This step is all about analyzing kinks and unbalances in character. What are some of the things that need to be refined in your temperament?
3) What could God possibly want for me to learn from this situation?
-This step allows you to handle the situation cautiously, with Christ. It also allows you to place yourself in the most ideal location in order to be able to be propelled to heightened Spiritual Maturation.
Once you've asked yourself these questions, immediately strap up- and embrace all that will be coming your way. Because at the conclusion of it all, you will have your first foundational filler in your vacancy...
I've learned a score of things through incorporating this concept into my life. Though it's still a work in progress, it has become easier to catch myself before slipping back into a mindset that I previously possessed, but no longer want to return to.
I challenge you to test it out. You'll be amazed to find out that this is actually one of the hidden keys to securing front row seats to a private viewing of an amazing motion picture entitled: Euphoria.
So. A new school year is about to begin, and I think I've already selected my new theme.
*drumroll*
Guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out what that one's all about... after I figure out the true essence of what it means underneath its seemingly self explanatory facade...
Stay groovy.
-Alda.
I refused to live a life of perpetual disconsolation.
Beginning last year, I decided to designate a theme that I would actively strive to put into full effect each and every day of that year. Last year, I selected the theme "Embracing Adversity". Little did I know, this would become a motif that I would develop to the extent that the concept behind such a radical idea would begin replacing every bygone sinew that I possessed back when I wasn't truly converted in mind, spirit and physique. Everything I once knew about myself was, over time, thrust into full panoramic view at the most difficult, and often inconvenient, of times.
But- because I kept my mind stayed upon the opulent blessings that would inevitably make their way into forming a new and improved version of who Aldavina Dos Santos was to become- I fully invested in this new feat.
Embracing adversity.
Hmm. Many of you are probably thinking about what this theme actually entails. Well. The idea of embracing adversity is essentially the idea of taking that piece of you that reacts to discomfort, disappointment, unhappiness, depressiveness, betrayal, dissatisfaction (and practically any other negative emotion you can think of) - crumbling it up into a ball of negative energy, and allowing it to dissipate into the atmosphere.
You'd find, in its place, a tranquil, unfamiliar, but quite secure sense of... vacancy.
So, what do you fill this vacancy with?
That's just it.. YOU don't fill up this vacancy. There is only One who can. This empty space is slowly filled with the complete opposite of every emotion listed above, but not by you, of course.
After my year of "Embracing Adversity" I learned a couple of things. The primary lesson being this: In this little thing called life, there are always going to be these things called problems, that will some way or another ALWAYS find their way into our lives. That is a given. And since this is a guarantee, why not find a way to ward off any negative emotions that will contribute to the degradation of our quality of living? I say this all the time and I'm going to reinforce it here. I have CHOSEN to live a life of unadulterated happiness. There is no one, or no THING that will pose as an obstacle in my life that I will allow to have any kind of control over me. So because I know that these bits and pieces of disparate adversities will find some kind of crevasse in order to infiltrate my life, through embracing these adversities, I am able to consciously stop for the moment and evaluate the situation. Before I let my emotions run rampant, I seek one thing out of every unfortunate circumstance, and that is simply by asking myself 3 questions:
1) Why and how is this particular circumstance inconveniencing me?
- Often, we tend to make miniscule setbacks into lifetime hindrances. Some things are really not that serious. Simply put? We need to stop worrying about nonfactor things, because these nonfactors WILL find a way to become a factor in causing a profound sense of perpetual unhappiness. If I still feel a bit worried about the situation, I then ask myself the following questions:
2) What are some ways that my character can be improved?
-This step is all about analyzing kinks and unbalances in character. What are some of the things that need to be refined in your temperament?
3) What could God possibly want for me to learn from this situation?
-This step allows you to handle the situation cautiously, with Christ. It also allows you to place yourself in the most ideal location in order to be able to be propelled to heightened Spiritual Maturation.
Once you've asked yourself these questions, immediately strap up- and embrace all that will be coming your way. Because at the conclusion of it all, you will have your first foundational filler in your vacancy...
I've learned a score of things through incorporating this concept into my life. Though it's still a work in progress, it has become easier to catch myself before slipping back into a mindset that I previously possessed, but no longer want to return to.
I challenge you to test it out. You'll be amazed to find out that this is actually one of the hidden keys to securing front row seats to a private viewing of an amazing motion picture entitled: Euphoria.
So. A new school year is about to begin, and I think I've already selected my new theme.
*drumroll*
- "Building solid, lasting networks."
Guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out what that one's all about... after I figure out the true essence of what it means underneath its seemingly self explanatory facade...
Stay groovy.
-Alda.
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