I often recall a story that helped me overcome what seemed to me at the time to be a hopeless situation. And now I can say with confidence: if you are not happy with the succession of some life events, look around you – you are sure to find answers and solutions that will lift you above your imagined calamities.
Wear and tear
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, I was among those who were very active in the development of the new Lithuania: I participated in public and political activities and in the creation of new democratic institutions. We worked as hard as we could, sparing neither time nor effort. In the municipality, I supervised all management processes. No legal act could have been created without my participation.
No wonder that after a few years I felt absolutely exhausted, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Life became unpleasant, and all my legislative work in the name of Lithuania was no longer a source of joy.
Treatment
The doctors referred me to a sanatorium and recommended a consultation with a psychotherapist. This not only angered me, but also made me feel humiliated: how am I going to tell a stranger about my deeply personal problems! At that time it was not accepted at all. But I tried to imagine the therapist as a gray-haired grandfather, to whom I could probably open my soul. That calmed me down a bit.
The therapist turned out to be my age, and of course, I did not want to open up to him. He must have been a good specialist, but I kept quiet, didn’t answer any questions, and he finally couldn’t stand it. “You cow, you cow! – He suddenly said to me at another session. – Look around: people in wheelchairs, with crutches, but how they enjoy life! And you’ve got your hands and feet in place, and you have a high position in society, but no, you think you’re a miserable patient!
I was shocked at such disrespectful behavior: “How dare he!” Unhappy and angry, I went back to my room. I wanted to go home.
Don’t settle for defeat
My roommate’s name was Irene. She came to the sanatorium a day later than me. After she was completely paralyzed, she could hardly walk, dragging one leg, and always asked me to accompany her to the place where the procedures were performed, if it was in other buildings. Yet every day Irena called countless friends and relatives, asking them in detail what they were doing and how they were feeling. I watched with interest the joy and care with which she interacted with her family and co-workers.
It turns out that in the small town where she lived, Irena organized and led the society for the disabled, so even on vacation she could not forget about those for whom she took responsibility.
We easily hit it off with my roommate and, like close friends, we shared our innermost secrets. Surprisingly, Irena never complained about her fate. She ended each story of her injuries with words of gratitude to those who helped her once again to rise and regain her strength. This woman, who had undergone many ordeals, was truly happy, enjoying life, and a smile never left her face.
Enjoy life
I compared my “problems” to Irena’s life story. She suffered paralysis after a birth trauma. But she came alive solely because of her belief that no one could raise her son without her. Just her. She’s a mom!
Next to Irene, I was embarrassed because I didn’t have a problem. My mother is healthy, my son and I are healthy, we have a great home, and I have an interesting job.
It was then, in that sanatorium, that I realized that all around me were helpers. I just have to observe everything around me and create my own way of life.
In fact, this is the law of the development of human society – in harmonious interaction with the environment. And then life becomes simple and easy.
