Our life is  a continuous learning and struggle  for goals and challenges that inspire us, and other more difficult ones that come our way… and “forge” us as people, with that longing to love and  feel loved  that we all have.

We need  a guiding star  to lead us through life, a purpose  to aim high and not be discouraged by setbacks and daily tasks. And an  optimistic attitude to start and start again,  because there is always something that can be done in any situation, no matter how bad it may seem. This is how we transform difficulties into challenges that motivate us to give our best. 

How important attitude is! Elisabeth Lukas points out: “With a  positive attitude,  you can benefit from even the most threatening situation, whereas with a negative attitude, even a stay in Paradise can become unbearable.”

And we must accept that there will be  stumbles,  and we will fall, but we can always rise again with renewed vigor, ask for forgiveness, and start anew, looking to that star that illuminates our path…

Sometimes, when we look back, we clearly see the  meaning behind certain difficulties,  past wounds that we didn’t understand at the time. But perhaps we will later. Therefore, going forward, if something is unclear, it’s important not to get discouraged and  to remember that we can use everything to move forward, even if it’s difficult,  even if it hurts. We’ll see what good it holds for us. And our loved ones may need, in addition to our  affection , that example and  consistency in our lives to keep  fighting without giving up. Perhaps later we’ll understand it or glimpse its meaning. 

As a great sage once said, we often see  our life like a tapestry from behind …  The less attractive knots and stitches that mar it are immediately apparent, but one day we will see it from the front, and we will marvel at its beauty: the affection we sow, the pain borne with gallantry and elegance, the attempt to bring joy to others, to create something beautiful, to illuminate paths full of darkness and shadows, and ultimately, to  love  others.

If we could imagine it sooner, especially when it’s most difficult, and see the significance of the everyday, we would be simpler, we would get angry less,  we would take better care of those close to us,  we would show small acts of kindness, we would dedicate real time to our families… attentively, without distractions. We would live  with intention and purpose ,  aiming for worthwhile goals, aligned with our calling, mission, and sense of purpose.

That’s why it’s so important to think about ” what to  do with the time we’ve been given”… Anchoring  our lives in  values ​​that never go out of style, and making them a part of our lives,  because in this way we improve as people, and consequently we will be happier.

Think often:  Does what I’m going to do today bring me closer to or further from where I want to go,  or from who I want to be? 

And as always, learn to  apologize  if we have failed,  and be grateful for  the many good things we receive.

Thus life has  meaning  and purpose, even though it is sometimes difficult, and  glimpses of eternity,  because of the love we give without expecting anything in return…, because of the  generosity and gratitude  that allow us to make life a  “work of art”  that illuminates and encourages others, especially in our own family.

Finally, some ideas from Dr.  Viktor Frankl,  which always help to give meaning to life’s difficulties and challenges.

Speaking of the Nazi extermination camp: … “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing:  the last of the human freedoms  —to choose one’s  attitude  in any given set of circumstances,  to choose one’s own way.”

Faced with a difficult situation, we have two opposing paths. We have  the freedom to choose  what to do. We can  simply  react  to these circumstances and become victims, or we can take control:  be proactive and think about how we want to respond.

It is the  inner freedom  inherent in people, in their inherent dignity, regardless of the circumstances in which we live. It is the challenge of  achieving something great with one’s own life,  even under difficult conditions.