The happiest people are those who make the most of everything

Dear Nanay,

I would like to react to your letter by Jealous Girl published last March 10 and to the letter about religious items.

With regards to Jealous Girl, the fact that she revealed this sentiment to you means that she wants to rid herself of it. It means that she can be happy by not comparing herself with other seemingly luckier people; she should compare herself to herself. This will motivate one to become better to one’s self and then, eventually, gain confidence so that other people will admire her. Confidence in one’s self starts with self-improvement in areas you feel need improvement as well as in areas you’re most interested in. So in addition to agreeing with your comments and those of “A Former Jealous Girl,” I also have my own thoughts to add.

You can achieve positive thoughts knowing that you are luckier than someone else. I especially liked reading the book Third Serving of Chicken Soup For The Soul, for that’s where I learned this valuable lesson: it is all a matter of perspective. That is, to always think positive (look at the bright side) and never dwell on the negative to keep you happy and not whine. So I thought to myself I may be deaf but at least I’m not also blind. That’s why I’ve developed a new admiration for Helen Keller.

I likewise remember an article from this book where a man had an accident, which turned him into a quadriplegic. I would distinctly remember what his mother said to him upon her visit to the hospital: “The difficult takes time. The impossible takes a little longer.” That has become his mantra and he has accomplished a lot.

I remember the story of a man who surpassed the amateur national and international records for pole-vaulting, despite being blind. I remember someone who had two accidents within four years. The first one burned 70 percent of his body; the second one turned him into a quadriplegic. But he ran for office under the slogan: “Not Just Another Pretty Face.” I remember what he said: “Before, I could do 10,000 things. Now, I can do 9,000.”

I also like the book entitled Hope Grows in Winter where a Pastor acquires a mysterious disease which turns out to be AIDS. Upon contemplating how he got the disease, he remembered when he tried to save people from an accident and suffered a cut in the process. It turned out that the people he was trying to save were drug addicts who were dead. But he ended the article with hope. I learned from reading that book that “Hope is a noun.”

There was also an article about the designers of the Bronx Bridge (I think) whose father and son both met an accident and left the son with only his eyelids moving. Of course people would think that the project was doomed. But through blinking the son was able to communicate and the bridge was eventually built.

The happiest people do not necessarily have the best of everything. They only make the most of what they have.

In addition, with respect to religious posters that are already soaked, you would have to burn them to avoid creating scandal for whoever finds them. This was my query before to a priest and that’s what he said. Basically, destroy the religious items instead of openly throwing them away, in order to avoid scandal.

Thank you. PN                                             

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