Tie a Knot and Hang on

“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

Some people wonder how I remain so optimistic despite all the enormous obstacles I have faced in my life and continue to face. Without airing my entire personal background of more struggles than I can even begin to go into, I often wonder where this endless optimism comes from myself. Even when I have been lied to, stolen from and even physically threatened, for some reason, I still want to and do believe in the very best in people.

The saying that “whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger” is one of my favorite mantras right now.

I have always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes when you trust too much you may be setting yourself up for more hardships. I guess as they say sometimes too much of a good thing can be a bad thing and I suppose that goes for how you deal with others as well. I suppose sometimes, if you believe the best in someone who does not deserve your trust, he or she will take advantage of your good will even if in your heart and mind you would never do any such thing to another. While before all these horrible things took place you wanted to believe another could never do such a thing, you must heed the words and advice of others that, there are such people in the world who do such things and it does not bear any reflection on you. It is the other person who has willfully done harm to another.

Because of this sad possibility, you must keep reminding yourself that the way you think is rare and unique. You must keep reminding yourself that believing the best in others is a good thing, but it is only good if it does not bring harm to yourself in the process.

I have had to learn my lesson the hard, hard, hardest way. While this article is general in nature, I do hope that the message it conveys will help you to not have to ever be faced with even the smallest fraction of what I have been through in my life.

My best wishes and blessings to all.