I’m happy to let you know that my book, Feeling Fortunate but Awful, is now available on Kindle and at a very reasonable price. Besides the subject of depression, the other topics I write about are: the value of authentic friendships, the importance of self-care, the role trials can play in our growth and development and the importance of creativity and spirituality in our lives.
Tag Archive | challenges
It is what it is
It is what it is
Stop fighting with yourself
Accept the moment, as is
You feel change is happening slowly
That might be
But worrying about it
Won’t speed things up
If anything
It will create roadblocks
Sometimes it’s two steps forward
One step back
Others have gone through this
Take a deep breath
And get back on track!
It is what it is
It’s not bad
Even when it’s hard
It may lead you
To something new and grand
When it’s difficult
Persevere
Perseverance separates the weak
From the strong
It is what it is
This phrase frees you from worry
From disappointment
From questioning and doubt
Lida Berghuis
January 31st, 2011
Circle and square
Sometimes when we are facing interpersonal problems
We forget that most likely
We are part of the solution
That learning to thinks and act differently
Can change the dynamics of the situation
We tend to want to tell others how to live
To make things easier for us or remove our hurt and pain
We don’t realise that sometimes
It’s us who has to change
We have no control over other people’s actions
But we can determine our own response and attitude
In trying to fit a square peg through a smaller circle
We can complain that the circle is too small
Or we can shave off the edges of the square
April 11th, 2016
What I tell my kids
Did you have fun?
We sometimes ask our kids when they come home
The subtle message being life is supposed to be fun
I’m not trying to be a downer
And say life is always hard
But I feel our children should know
That life is often hard
We don’t learn much when everything goes our way
Not that there is anything wrong with that
But life is so much more than idyllic days when all goes well
And in all the hardship and heartache there are lessons to be learned
So, I tell my kids
Life is full of ups and downs
And they should not be surprised when
Difficulties come along
I tell them that they can learn from challenges and grow
Life is fun, but in reality, it’s often hard!
April 8th, 2016
Golden waterfall
Standing under the waterfall of grace
Refreshed with the beauty I see all around
Standing under the waterfall of grace
The sounds of water rushing, drowning all other sounds
Standing under the waterfall of grace
Thankful for all that has come my way
Joyful days to cheer my heart
Challenging times to make me strong
Standing under the waterfall of grace
Looking back, looking forward
Knowing that I’m whereI’m supposed to be
Looking forward to what’s to come!
Standing under the waterfall of grace
Light reflected in the water that falls
Creating a golden waterfall!
Lida Berghuis
October 25th, 2015
unpaved road
Imagine driving on a road and coming to an unpaved section
There is dust, the road is not smooth, and you slow down
There are two options at this point
Either to keep going and put up with the difficulties of the unpaved road
Or to back track a bit and find an alternate paved route
The second option requires effort
Requires searching for a new way
Even recognizing that there is an alternative
The difficulties of life are like unpaved roads
They are an invitation to look at other options
Other ways of thought
Other behaviour
In other words, growth…
But it’s up to us to accept the invitation or not
We also have the choice to continue on the gravel road
And suffer the consequences and complain
About the state of affairs and the unfairness of the situation
All the time not realizing it’s not the situation that
Has to change, it’s us!
Lida Berghuis
September 4th, 2015
Peace of mind
If we see someone smiling
It doesn’t mean they have no challenges in life
We have gained wisdom if we can smile
Despite the difficulties of life
I used to wonder how is it possible to be happy
Despite the troubles of life
Then I read: ” Peace of mind is the result of
Not paying attention to challenges that are not
worth thinking about”
So, the problem need not go away
My attitude has to change
The importance I give it has to change
My focus should be on positive things
That way, my problems don’t have power over me
I can complain or I can be content
I can look at the glass as half full or half empty
I can put my focus on things that are going well or not
I can be thankful for the blessings I have or not
I can be optimistic that problems can be resolved or not
I can resign myself to situations I can’t change or not
I can try to learn from the difficult experiences of life or not
And finally, I can create my own peace of mind or not!
Lida Berghuis
September 4th, 2015
Building roads on clouds
Generally I like the blue sky
With lots of sun to warm my body and soul
But clouds do come and rain is necessary
To sustain life
Rain also brings the rainbow out
What if instead of sadness at the sight of clouds
I build roads on them and use those roads to
Get to most interesting places
They say if life gives you lemon, make lemonade
So, if life brings gray rainclouds I’ll build roads on them
Roads built from lessons learned
And wisdom gathered so far
And when the sky rains tears of sorrow
I’ll climb the raindrops until I reach the top
Of the clouds and take a look around
Beyond the clouds, there is only sun
The hard work is the climb
But life has provided me with some training
In climbing and building roads so far…
Instead if allowing clouds to bring me down
I’ll climb the rain, and look beyond the clouds
Then build roads and carry on…
Lida Berghuis
September 1st, 2015
Transformation
It’s the times that we think
Nothing is happening in our lives
Or the times that challenge us most that
Make us who we are
Change happens slowly
Transformation is not a one day affair
And often the experiences that change us the most
Are not the most pleasant
They take us out of comfort One
They make us question our beliefs
They test our endurance and constancy
And only when we look back
Can we see what was happening
Had a transformative effect
But change requires a conscious effort
To see things in a new way
To question our assumptions
To search for meaning
It’s our thoughts and actions
That lead to change
The desire to learn
To look with new eyes
To understand better
To go deeper
And perhaps it can be a solace
During challenging times to know
Life changing can be the result…
Our essence
Our essence
To learn new things
To go into uncharted territory
To accept starting at the bottom to build
A tall edifice
To explore the unknown
To put the different parts of the puzzle together
One by one
To persevere when it’s not easy
To be patient and not disappointed
With the slow rate of advance
To see the cup as half full
To laugh in the face of challenges
To raise to the occasion
To have faith
These are the strengths of the human spirit
The invisible part of us
The part we sometimes need to pay more
Attention to…
Our essence
Our future
Our treasure
Lida Berghuis
August 4th, 2015
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