We have all heard versions of the above quote. Followed by a resigned sigh. And then acknowledgement from whoever is listening. We have probably said it more than once ourselves!

The truth is that there are always things we have to do that might be less enjoyable in themselves. And here is the point. Why do them?

Let’s say I do really hate cleaning toilets and it is the only job I have. In fact it is the worst job in the world. On top of that I get paid the lowest salary imaginable.  I still have choice. I can either leave the job and have no income. Arguably that would be worse than cleaning toilets. Or I can make the best of it knowing that at least I have some positive (the meagre income) coming from my work.

The thing is I do have choice. I can choose to hate my job or I can choose to focus on the positive that comes from it (even if that is tiny).

You could argue that both are equal possibilities. You could even argue that both are equally “made up”.

If so then why choose the one that makes me miserable? More importantly why choose the option that leads me down the road of victimhood as opposed to the option which offers possibilities and options and hope?

Sometimes we feel there is no hope. I would argue that we just can’t see it.

PS: I get that some situations are truly horrific. Many times genocide is listed as amoung the most dire. The works of Dr Edith Eger and Victor Frankl are easy reading (the material certainly is not) and should be on everybody’s list at least once in our lives. It would certainly make our lives better.