Remember

When life gets you down, remember. Remember when you were young and the sun shined bright and you were playing with your friends out on the playground at school. Remember the first crush you had, the first kiss, the first time you heard the words from your mother or father, “I’m proud of you.” Remember that time in school when you realized that you were pretty smart – that you had some talents that other kids didn’t have. Remember.

When things don’t go your way, remember. Remember the hundreds of times when things DID go your way. Remember the vacations you took, the places you’ve gone, the things you’ve done that were just fun. Remember your successes and the pats on the back and the recognitions you’ve received.

When you feel like you’ve lost faith in the goodness of life – when hopes have been dashed, remember. Remember the people you’ve called “friend” over  the years. Remember the feelings of warmth and love that were so real. Remember realizing that they felt the same way about you – that you caused love in someone else.

It’s not uncommon for life to throw us curve balls or for life to turn out far different than we expected or wanted. But looking back, life is almost always found to be filled with good things and good people and good fortune. Use those memories to encourage you along the way – to rekindle hope – to know that life really is good.