Broken and Beautiful

I believe it was Dr. Robert Schuller who said,  “Tough times never last, but tough people do!”   Every week as a child my Grandma would watch Robert Schuller on the TV, coming live from his Chrystal Cathedral in Southern California for his “Hour of Power.”  Even at the tender age of 13, I recall thinking, “What the heck does he know about tough times, look at that church!”  

However, what I have learned as an adult, is appearances do not always coincide with reality.  That is part of the problem with social media, it propagates the idea that everyone else has it all together and is living a glamorous life.   We are shown friends on fancy boats, playing with their perfect grandchildren, walking hand and hand on the beach with their handsome husbands, or having fun with their youthful skinny girlfriends.  However, everyone, and I mean everyone, is dealing with their challenges in one way or another.  Life is very cyclical, but one thing is certain, there will be ups and there will be downs.

Like many of us, I keep in touch through texting with my dear friends.  Looking back at these texts, it is clear that each of us are experiencing our own issues.  These relate from anything to our health, family challenges, finances, disputes with other friends, and of course, sex and romance.  No one is an exception here, for even when we are riding high from love and all feels right with the world, there are other aspects of life that rear their ugly head.

The Wheel of Fortune card in the Tarot teaches us that life is in constant flux.  To appreciate the good times when they appear, because everything could change in a flash.  It reminds us that “what goes around, comes around,” and this is why it’s so important for us to be grateful for the good, and also, to not get too wrapped up in the bad.  Part of the beauty of growing older, is that we have a larger frame of reference to reflect on, to see this with clearer hindsight.

Personally, I disagree with Robert Schuller.  Tough times last throughout our lifetime, and the sooner we realize this fact, the easier it is to cope with.  (What is it about the human condition that we have this false belief that life is supposed to be smooth sailing, and when it’s not, we move to a dark place?)  The same challenge may not last for an entire lifetime, but be prepared, some other issue will soon step forward to teach us yet another life lesson.  But that is why we are here!  This life is a school, and we will be presented with lessons, sometimes time and again, until we master them.  The more conscious we are about this, the easier it will be to navigate these ups and downs with a positive and hopeful attitude.  When we allow ourselves to get dragged down by them, we are missing the point!

Listening to the right music is an easy and quick way to keep our spirits high when things go wrong. Some of my favorite songs to listen to when I feel the world around me crumbling are as follows:

“Thank You Next” by Ariana Grande

“Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande

“Time of Our Lives” by Pit Bull

“Work Bitch” by Brittany Spears

“On the Floor” by J Lo

“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Freddy Mercury 

“Roar”  by Katy Perry

“Geronimo” by Sheppard 

“Broken and  Beautiful” by Kelly Clarkson

Yes, we will all go through tough times, but we can take back our power and put a smile on our face if we CHOOSE to, rather than allowing ourselves to spin out of control.  Maybe today is the day to listen to some upbeat music and even “dance it out” if you can. 

(It always works for me!)

Afterword: Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral went bankrupt in 2010 and was purchased by the Catholic Dioceses.