Article by
KAYSOON KHOO
Life deals out unequal portions. Some have more, some less. Some are born with silver spoons in their mouths, some in the midst of abject poverty.
Sometimes the difference is even more pronounced and of greater consequence. Some are born perfectly normal, some with physical and mental handicaps that cannot be rectified.
Whatever life deals out to you, there is no point in complaint or self-pity. Neither is it of any use attributing the unfairness to God, karma, chance or fate. You can spend your life bemoaning your lot or railing against cruel destiny but nothing is going to change the way things are for you.
If you cannot rid yourself of your bitterness, you're making your situation even more harsh. This time, it's YOU who's adding to the load you already have to carry.
Think of Helen Keller, the American author and humanitarian who was born blind, deaf and dumb. Think of Christopher Reeves, the Hollywood actor who became paralysed from the neck down in the prime of his life and at the height of his carrer. Think of Stephen Hawking, the brilliant physicist who used his brains to compensate for the physical advantages nature denied him. Read up or surf the net for accounts of those who are severely handicapped but who learned how to be independent in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
These people show you how to live life with courage, determination and faith in the self. They're not super-beings or immortal. They're flesh and blood like you. If they didn't buckle under, why should you? How CAN you?
Make a mental list of them and use them as inspirations. Each time you feel you cannot cope with your life, compare your situation with theirs. Be grateful your path is not as quite so steep. They fought, persevered and triumphed. You can do no less. You OWE it to yourself. Pay that debt and emerge a winner in the game of life.
