From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
Today • Wednesday • June 25, 2008
BY Dr James Dobson
Astro-physicist Stephen Hawking may be the most intelligent man on earth. But Dr Hawking has ALS syndrome, a grave illness which has left him paralysed, except for his fingertips.
He manipulates a computer with those fingers and thereby communicates his calculations and his thoughts. Dr Hawking has a very interesting perspective on his disorder. He said before he became ill, he was bored with life. He called it a pointless existence. He drank too much, and he did very little work. But when he learned that he only had two years to live, life suddenly took on a new meaning. He was actually happier than before.
Dr Hawking explained the paradox this way: “When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.” Everything becomes meaningful to those who are dying: A sunrise or the laughter of children. But those who believe life owes them a free ride are often miserable. Perhaps the high incidence of depression in Western nations, and maybe even the tragic rate of divorce, can be traced in part to unrealistic expectations of what life will bring.
May I suggest that we accept our circumstances exactly as they are, and not expect more than life can deliver?
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