Pity is the deadliest feeling that can be offered to a woman. --Vicki Baum
We must move forward with confidence, trusting that the strength we need will be given us, having faith in our visions to guide us. Problems need not daunt us. Rather, they can spur us on to more creative activity. They challenge our capabilities. They insist that we not stand still.
Pity from others fosters inaction, and passivity invites death of the soul. Instead, our will to live is quickened through others' encouragement. All else dampens the will. Pity feeds the self-pity that rings the death knell.
We can give strokes wherever we are today and know that we are helping someone live. And each time we reach out to encourage another, we are breathing new life into ourselves, new life that holds at bay the self-pity that may appear at any moment.
We can serve one another best, never by commiserating with sadnesses, but by celebrating life's challenges. They offer the opportunities necessary to our continued growth.
Someone needs a word of encouragement from me. I will brighten their vision of the future.
"justifiable anger" is the pathway to self victimization (self pity). And depression is anger turned inward. We can become addicted to these negative emotions, that cause the brain to secrete chemicals exponentially more powerful than heroin or cocaine, potentially leading us to become internal drug addicts (talk about your brain's chemical imbalance). While it's impossible to keep negative feelings from popping up in your head, you make the choice on whether to embellish them. Just say no to anger, resentment, sorrow, self-pity... and move to acceptance and gratitude. "It was what it was, The past is passed, and I'm grateful to be alive and enjoy all that life has to offer me today".
-- Edited by StPeteDean on Sunday 8th of August 2010 10:37:28 AM
Wonderful post, Larry, and I strongly identified with what you said in response, Dean. This has been a hectic and very rough week, and last night my Gram, gonna be 102 in January, went into hospital for, of all things, ecoli. I get a call, and all I heard was "they took Edie in because she won't wake up" and I went internally ballistic. Allowed myself to get too tired. Sat here waiting for a call to tell me how she's doing, and nobody called, and in came Too Lonely and Too Angry. The only thing I missed out on was hungery. Of course.
So sitting here (turned my beeper off for the day) feeling all this self pity, came here, and heard exactly what I needed to hear. Once again, the wisdoms here shook me by the short hairs... thanks all, chris
