#298: Forged By Hardships

There is a saying that anything that doesn't kill us will make us stronger. Like the blacksmith who places steel in the forge of red hot flames, molds it then cools it off with water to finish the hardening.

Think for a moment about your personal difficulties, be they financial, health or emotional. Sometimes, doesn't it seem as if the entire world is against us and everything is going wrong?

But when these troubling times hit, as they surely will, how do you react? How about giving praise for the difficulty? Sure, this is likely the opposite of how you want to respond, but giving thanks is better than wallowing in self-pity.

When we hang our heads all we can see is our feet. But when we raise our heads to the heavens we are exposed to all manner of possibilities and we see clouds and trees and rainbows that all lift up our spirits.

Admittedly it is not a normal reaction to say, "Thank you," when obstacles block our way. But doing so opens our minds and replenishes our souls. It is magical how giving thanks works and is a process I can not explain. But I can say that it works.