The Trials of Life

How are you managing with the trials of living in today’s world? In this post from Lou Tice at the Winners Circle he talks about the various trials we face in different stage’s of our lives.

I once heard that, “Old age is not for sissies.” The fact is, life itself is not for sissies.

When you think about the trials of old age, it is easy to agree that old age is not for sissies. But you know, every age has its trials. When we’re young, we face difficult decisions about education, career and marriage. We struggle to come to terms with our emotions, hormones, and identity issues.

Later, we agonize over raising our children, gaining financial security, and retirement. Life, if we are living it fully, never ceases to present us with challenges and problems to solve. The secret to successful living is not in finding an easy, carefree existence, but in being adequate for the trials that life brings.

Stanley Jones once said that we don’t break down from overwork, but from “under being.” I agree. Most of us are not given too much to cope with. It’s just that sometimes we feel as if our inner resources are low.

A camping supply company slogan puts it this way: “See us for supplies so you can rough it smoothly.” To rough it smoothly through life, you need to be well equipped, too. You need good values, a good support system of people who care about you, a purpose you believe in strongly, an optimistic spirit, respect for others, and respect for yourself, as well.

Just like a well-supplied camper, if you have these things, it won’t matter much if the weather turns bad where you set up camp. You will come through just fine.

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute

We all face different trials at the various stages of our lives. Sometimes I imagine we can feel we have to cope with more than our share. With my health the way it is, I must admit I probably feel that way far more than I should. A couple of sentences that spring out for me, though, and I hope they will assist me in the future, are, “Most of us are not given too much to cope with. It’s just that sometimes we feel as if our inner resources are low.”

My inner resources are very low at the moment. I’ve been going through a really bad patch with my health for a couple of months now, and I am really struggling. Various changes that have been made to my medications haven’t worked out as was hoped. And we’re now going back to where I was before Christmas, because the thinking is, now, that the changes we made have possibly triggered, and certainly exacerbated, this bad patch. But it is going to take a while to get things stable again. In amongst all that’s been going on, they have discovered something else that’s wrong. I’ll be going into hospital in early May to, hopefully, get that sorted and start some therapy.

So my inner resources are very low at the moment. But I’m hopeful that, with some help, they will be building up again over the next few weeks. And then, I hope, I will be better equipped to cope with the trials of life. In the mean time, I hope to keep things going as normal on this blog, but I have, now, used all of the posts I’d got in reserve in draft form, so could miss occasionally.

Another great post from Lou Tice at the Winners Circle: one that has reminded me that I’m not the only one facing the trials of life, and to think more positively about things. I always find his post a great help; if you think you would benefit from more, do, please, consider subscribing to the daily emails yourself, it won’t cost you anything.