blogging, Philosophy

Is Life Getting Harder?

Forestwood

If we only look at things through one filter, one lens, they will always seem the same.

seeing

Never forget that no matter what anyone does, you are responsible for how you feel.

The brain is a powerful filter that moulds experiences and perceptions of reality. If you think the world is a dangerous place, your brain is wired to hunt for evidence of danger. 

If you believe it’s a loving place, you spot more loving opportunities. 

What you focus on, you get more of.

Marc and Angel
Norwegian proverb life

I enjoy finding inspirational old quotes and sayings. Their wise words so succinctly contain good counsel and recipes for life, if we are open to learning from them.

Livet er fullt av store ting for dem som evner a omgas de sma ting fortrolig

Life is full of great things for those who have the innate ability to enjoy the small.

Norwegian proverb

Do you agree with these old Norwegian proverbs?

Published by Forestwood

A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word. Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.

39 thoughts on “Is Life Getting Harder?”

    1. I think it makes you aware of the things that we take for granted, Srikanth. Finding things that we are grateful for, promotes positivity in our minds. It brings a smile to our face and we forget the things we may have been lamenting for a time. This can only be healthy, right?

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  3. Totally agree with this. This was one of the key takeaways from the best self-help book I ever read – You can heal your life.

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    1. Absolutely. Perspective/filter/lens/attitudes, it is all through which we interpret each interaction or situation. It is not the situation but us in all our various coats and nuances.

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      2. Ah! Thanks for clarifying. It is a good one, isn’t it. I just love these old ones. The language is often metaphorical, but that means that we can put our own interpretation on it. Which makes it meaningful for each of us.

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    1. Another great adage. Situations don’t have emotions, we assign them. And in doing that we are thinking and processing thoughts first, when are of course, influenced by all our past experiences. That said, we can separate ourselves from that emotion. Because we are much more than just our thoughts. We are no more a thought, than we are telling someone they are a duck simply because they are quacking like a duck. We, our consciousness is separate to thoughts. And if we are separate we can create some distance between us and the thought. That is a way to keep from getting stuck in your head. It kind of resets the focus externally. Does that make sense?

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      1. Yes it does! Sometimes I get so caught up in the details and the what if’s. It helps to zoom out and think of the situation as a whole or in the context of time. I find it also helps if there’s an outside perspective from a close friend as well to get out of our heads. Although wary that everyone is a sum of their experiences and cultural upbringing.

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      2. Close reliable friends are so valuable to have when times are tough. They do give that secondary perspective that can get us out of those, sometimes painful, thought loops.

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  9. I like these. Life is hard, but we often bite off more than we can chew. We do not need every new gadget to be fulfilled. It is the simple things – conversations, time together, etc. that make it robust and easier. Keith

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    1. It sometimes takes folks a whole lifetime to realize that conversation, time together and personal interactions are far more important than gadgets, sights, places or things. I begun to get an inkling of this when I went overseas for the first time. The sights I saw were stunning, but on my return home and thought over my trip, I began to think it was the interactions with people and the people themselves that brought the most joy and still hold the strongest memory for me. They are the stories that you recount years later in your mind and to others. They provide a colour to the journey itself.
      It is all very well working yourself to the ground and getting every new gadget or expensive car, seeing every new place and even then banging on with a long winded description of a snow capped mountain that you saw, but a humorous or incredulous interaction with someone warms the soul and is so much more interesting not just when you are experiencing it but also afterwards. An interaction can change your life. A gadget or sightseeing may not.

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      1. Well said. Montreal was lovely, but I remember the conversation we had with a Jazz singer in a bar during her break. In Ireland, we had a delightful conversation with Oola from Belgium in a cafe nearThe Cliffs of Moher, which are breathtaking. But, the Ireland trip was memorable for my son being able to sing every word to Molly Malone in a pub with the singer. It surprised the both of them and us.

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      2. I have had wonderful experiences like that in Norway, Nepal and Japan. They make me smile when I remember them. That is a gift.
        Singing the whole Mollly Malone? I wouldn’t know where to start. You have an Irish background, I take it?

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      3. Yes, we had relatives that went from Scotland through Ireland to here. My boys liked that we have some Viking lineage. If you ever get to Dublin, they have a cool Viking museum.

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      4. I imagine they would. I really enjoyed seeing the Viking museums in Ribe, Jelling, Silkeborg and Oslo,(in Scandinavia), when it was my son’s major obsession.

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  12. I do think we react to situations based on the filter we have created from previous experiences. The sad thing is that each situation is unique, and we make assumptions though we are not even aware we are doing so!

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    1. Yes, Dorothy, that is an excellent point to make. You are, I take it, referring to the tendency for folks to generalise information and reactions based on previous interactions and experiences. A one size fits all approach. Except it doesn’t.
      So our reactions can be skewed and vary widely if, for example, we have a history of trauma. Or we have a hidden agenda or fears. If we have not developed a strong identity, or a strong sense of who we are, our reactions may also be widely varied, as we seek to find out who we are and where we fit and react accordingly. We are all responsible although some people might even willingly or unwittingly surrender that responsibility if they are not of sound mind, suffer with a disability, sickness or their
      mind is cluttered by substances. I suppose this is more of an indepth response than you were thinking, but I hope I have answered your comment, Dorothy?

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  13. I so agree. This part of the make lemonade when life throw lemons at you. I really do believe (and it has been proven in my life) that circumstances mold people into what they are.

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    1. I do agree that circumstances mold people Appeltjie. They are the colours of life. Some dark and some light. Life is not black and white, sometimes harmonious colour and sometimes grating colour mixes, and sometimes a mash up!

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  14. I like the last saying. Mum & I love finding the tiny little wild flowers growing in the hard clay ground in areas of our property. There is beauty even in the toughest of places.

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    1. I am glad that you like the Norwegian proverb. It sounds like you notice the smaller details around you, Linda. Some of those weeds can be really pretty. I snipped a bit of a weed for the Home by the Sea recently. It was growing under a walkway in a crack in the path and it reminded me of a soft conifer – similar to a juniper. So I plucked a small piece and it is now growing in my garden. Weeds are just plants in the wrong place.

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