While watching the Oscars on Sunday, I saw a quote by Lena Horne that made me grab a pen to write it down: “It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s how you carry it.” I absolutely love this quote as it succinctly summarizes one of the key lessons I’ve learned in the last few years – there are always going to be challenges in life, however we have a choice as to how we deal with those challenges.
I’ve seen commercials recently reminding television watchers to pick up parcels in a safe way that doesn’t cause harm to your back. I think it may be handy in this day and age to have commercials that remind you how to safely carry your emotional baggage. It is inevitable, we are going to face circumstances in our lives that we didn’t plan for and would rather hit the rewind button to avoid. Unfortunately we don’t have magic remote controls like Adam Sandler and when we’re faced with a negative experience, we must choose how we’re going to deal with the challenge.
So when we face life’s hardships, are we going to carry our load in a way that strains our backs, or in a healthy way that will allow us to have the strength to face the next challenge? I have come to realize that when you carry your load with a victim mentality, the load is always going to feel a lot heavier and cause you pain. When you consider your load to be an opportunity, a chance to grow and become stronger, the load doesn’t appear so heavy, because it is no longer a burden, but rather a gift.
So the next time you face an issue in your life that isn’t what you wanted or anticipated, ask yourself the question “Am I going to be a victim and let this load break me down, or am I going to look for the lesson, seize the opportunity and know that I don’t have to carry this load forever?” Once you decide that you not going to worry about why this happened and trust that everything happens for a reason, you’ll realize how right Lena Horne was. Don’t let the load break you down! ♥
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