{"id":550,"date":"2013-01-14T22:52:49","date_gmt":"2013-01-15T03:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/truthsyoucanuse\/?p=550"},"modified":"2013-01-14T23:02:11","modified_gmt":"2013-01-15T04:02:11","slug":"how-to-walk-through-the-raindrops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2013\/01\/how-to-walk-through-the-raindrops.html","title":{"rendered":"How To Walk Through the Raindrops"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

Life rains down on all of us. We experience loss, sadness, frustration, difficult times, goals missed, dreams disappointed. We go through broken relationships, betrayals, trust misplaced, loved ones hurt.<\/p>\n

Yet, while the rain can drown us, it can also strengthen us. While it can overwhelm, it can also energize. What makes the difference is the character trait we call resilience. To be resilient is to\u00a0<\/span>be able survive the winter and make it to spring. It is to learn from and\u00a0<\/span>find a way to understand life\u2019s difficulties.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Courage To Rejoice<\/strong><\/p>\n

How do we become more resilient? The Danish existentialist philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote a profound sentence in his Journals: \u201cIt requires moral courage to grieve; it requires religious\u00a0courage to rejoice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What Kierkegaard calls religious courage is the sense that life has a purpose and a meaning. When we know that our life matters–when we live for something larger than ourselves–we are more likely to have the courage to rejoice even when life is hard.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Right Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n

That is not to say that we should see the world through rose-colored lenses. Voltaire\u2019s character Dr. Pangloss in Candide saw \u201cthe best of all possible worlds\u201d in everything, but that is unrealistic and impossible for many of us. Rather, we can shift our perspective. <\/span><\/p>\n

We can struggle to see our lives from a long and broad perspective. When we do so, we often experience more gratitude and feelings of accomplishment, and the sadness of the moment is seen as temporary rather than permanent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes we need to force ourselves to look at this broader perspective. It does not come naturally. As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert wrote in his book <\/span>Stumbling on Happiness<\/em>, \u201cMost of us have a tough time imagining a tomorrow that is terribly different from today…”<\/span><\/p>\n

“We cannot feel good about an imaginary future when we are busy feeling bad about an actual present… we find that it\u2019s a lot like trying to imagine the taste of marshmallow while chewing liver.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Spirit of Resilience<\/strong><\/p>\n

What a resonant description! Yet, what faith does is give us the means and tools to look at our lives more broadly<\/em>. When we pray, we see ourselves as part of a people that precedes and\u00a0will succeed us.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we study, we attach ourselves to an ancient and everlasting tradition. When we we gather together, we make up a community that can hold us up when we falter, and can give us comfort and strength when we need it most.<\/p>\n

By\u00a0Evan Moffic<\/a><\/p>\n

GET YOUR FREE EBOOK: HOW TO FORGIVE EVEN WHEN IT HURTS.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Life rains down on all of us. We experience loss, sadness, frustration, difficult times, goals missed, dreams disappointed. We go through broken relationships, betrayals, trust misplaced, loved ones hurt. Yet, while the rain can drown us, it can also strengthen us. While it can overwhelm, it can also energize. 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His book, What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Jewishness of Jesus was a 2015 best-seller. His upcoming book of devotions\u2014Shalom for the Heart\u2014takes short biblical passages and show they way they can help us make better choices and live with fewer regrets. With Rabbi Moffic, you will find an open, accessible guide to life\u2019s deepest truths. A husband and father, he graduated from Stanford University in 2000, and was ordained a rabbi in 2006. He leads a congregation in suburban Chicago. 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