My thoughts, prayers, and heart are with those affected by the horrendous act of violence in Boston – the victims and their families, the runners and the survivors, my friend Monica who was at the race cheering people on as they crossed the finish line and all the other specators, and all the people who did everything in their power to help. I’m choosing to focus on the stories of heroism and kindness because…at the end of the day, I truly believe people are good. And I’m not going to let anyone steal that belief from me.
First thing Monday morning, I was talking to a coworker about my take on Lean In, and she said something really powerful. She said that sometimes it’s about the lens we choose to view life through.
With time, I’ve come to realize that sometimes life hits us with unpredictable, unfair, and heartbreaking moments/experiences. Ones that can break us if we let them. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t grieve and let ourselves feel the emotions that wash over us. Those are musts. I guess what I am saying is that whenever possible, we need to view life through the lens that magnifies the good.
I hope you’ll join me, especially during times like this, in choosing the lens that shows us all the love, kindness, and beauty that exists in the world. The lens that helps us find the helpers.
It’s hard to focus on the positive in times like this but it’s really the only thing we can do!
Exactly…the alternative isn’t going to do much for anyone. That’s how I choose to look at it anyway.
Agree with the Liz! It’s so hard to focus on the good when all the bad is happening out there. But no matter what we are thinking, I think it’s safe to say that our thoughts and prayers are going out to everyone in Boston this week <3
Agreed. When I first heard about what happened, I was honestly filled with so much anger. But then I realized that “that lens” was preventing me from seeing all the compassion and acts of kindness that were occurring. Even though it’s hard, what’s the alternative? And is it a good one?
This is great food for thought. As cliche as it sounds,we can’t change what has happened but we can definitely choose how we react to it. Given the horrific bombings on Monday, the amount of bravery that has come out of it is truly amazing.
I used that same quote on my post yesterday… Mr. Rogers was the man.
Its people like you and the girls here Parita that really helped me see through things differently. I was really shocked and broken but this but I am constantly telling myself – good outweight bad. Thanks Thanks Thanks!
Love this, Parita! And it’s exactly how I chose to approach this whole situation as well. There’s unquestionably a lot of evil in this world, but there is SO much more good. For the handful of people who were behind the bombings, there were millions who reached out with love and support… and THAT is the lens I want to view my world through – focusing on the helpers.
Nicely said. It’s really sad what happened, and we can’t jump to conclusions as I did. It’s hard to always think positive, I just keep wondering which city is next. and that really freaks me out. Such a senseless tragedy and how many lives were affected. You have a positive way of looking at it, and you are right.. it’s incidents like this which bring out the best in people and we see that there are so many good people in the world.
I love this and needed it today more than I can say.
I love your reflection on Boston. So filled with positivity and highlighting the heroism that raised above all. xo