One of my favorite quotes from the Harry Potter movies is when Sirius says to Harry, “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” Nobody is born a good or a bad person. Even a good person possesses qualities that could easily turn them into a Disney villain. However, it is the product of all the choices we make that defines us.
Let’s get honest, life gets difficult for a lot of people. You go through heart-breaking pain that you wouldn’t ever have imagined. Some people also have unresolved trauma that drastically changed their lives. However, it’s how you choose to react to situations that matters, what you choose for your present and future self and not just be an outcome of what life inflicted upon you in the past.
These choices aren’t always life altering ones. They can be as small and simple as how you treat people, be it treating everyone with respect versus demeaning or insulting someone, seeking revenge or letting go, being grateful for people who want to help you versus pushing them away. I recently saw Turning Red, the new Pixar movie where one of the character says – “We never lose our demons. We learn to live above them.” You don’t necessarily have to ignore your weaknesses or your imperfections, rather acknowledge them and learn to live above them.
I think one of the most important choices we make is being kind. Being kind to others as well as to yourself. When life gets tough, it’s very easy to succumb to the dark side, blame it on the circumstances, to give up on good because things aren’t working well for ya. But let me tell you my friend, life has been unfair to a whole lot of us.
I’ve known people who have been through hell and yet they are the kindest souls I’ve ever met in my life. I consider myself really lucky to have met such people. They have unknowingly been my mentors and are people I have the utmost respect for because they have taught me that you really can be happy even if life gives you every other reason to give up. It’s these brave souls I look upto and think of when going through difficult times. It is always up to us to practice and live the life we really want, despite all setbacks. So even through the coldest of storms, if you manage to keep your heart warm, you are already winning at life!
While it is a nice thing to be kind to others, but it is also important to be kind to yourself first. Don’t let this cruel and harsh world get to you. We often say that we can find light at the end of the tunnel. But what if you carry it within you. Be the light that shines through all the darkness that ever falls upon you and enlighten the paths of those who walk with you.
Choose love. Choose light.
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