The Most Beautiful People
Dr. Laurie finds that beauty, love and inspiration come hand-in-hand.
I came across a great quote today:
The most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
It struck me because I have been at two events for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the past two weeks, and I have met some amazing, strong, courageous beautiful people. That beauty shines like a radiance from the inside out, because each person I met was interested not only in their own well-being and recovery, but in how they might be of service to others.
Sharing their story, giving support and encouragement, offering a helping hand -- I saw it over and over again and it inspired me.
It is easy -- mostly because it's a habit to focus on what's going wrong, what's not working, where we feel a lack. To "find your way out of the depths" involves making the choice -- many times a day -- to turn toward gifts, grace, abundance, goodness. To put your eyes on what you love and where you feel your deepest affinities.
Take a moment -- where do you feel connected? To people you love? To your creative projects? To animals, trees, water, stars? When you bring those people, places and things to mind can you feel your heart lift?
I believe that's where we begin to move out of the depths and towards the light -- towards not merely surviving our suffering or fear, but toward understanding and compassion.
As I listened to people who have RA, and as I listened to the people who came with them -- their families and friends -- I heard struggle and loss, but it was leavened with hope and love.
One person talked about her work as an educator -- being with children who need her. Another is an activist and she is promoting political and social change.
A young girl wants to get more people involved in understanding RA.
A young man sat beside his girlfriend with his hand on her knee during the workshop, signaling, "I'm with you."
Where are your connections? How do you spell Hope? Love? That's where real beauty grows, and you, my CreakyJoint friends, are making it happen.
Thanks for all your inspiration.
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ANT(C)M!
Hope and Connections
First it was great to meet you in person at one of the events. I find your quotes very inspirational also your podcasts to which I subscribe.
I would recommend them to the rest of the folks on Creaky.
How do I look at Hope and my connections with this disease:
Hope - After dealing with this disease for 33 years and all it's ups and downs, it is important to feel connected to my family and them understanding the disease as a whole. I look to books and organizations for the hope to finding a cure for all Auto Immune Diseases. The medical research has come a long way since I was diagnosed and with all the new bill's in government there only one thing and that is HOPE, if we give up on hope and faith that they will find more advances, then I believe we are giving up on ourselves. (We can't have that because we are all important to ourselves, each other and our loved ones).
Connections - I find this site an extremely important find in my connections with others with this disease. My family has been very supportive over the years, though it is so much easier to handle some of the emotional strain from others that share the same experiences or similar ones.
I have to thank everyone that I have become friends with on this site for giving me the strength to know and face some of my fears with this disease. The folks here have given me the strength to be more open and volunteer to help others with the same diseases.
Thank you Creaky Staff and Members!!!