Today at a Glance:
- Personal Story: The Power of Perspective (What I learned after my family lost everything)
- A Powerful Reframe
- A Taoist Proverb
Story: The Power of Perspective (What I learned after my family lost everything)
3 years ago, my family lost everything. These 5 pics share their heartbreaking story w/ an unforgettable lesson:
In 2021 a civil war broke out between North and South Sudan.
I have 70+ family members (on my Dad’s side) who were born in North Sudan and have lived there their entire life. I was born there, too.
In an instant my family lost everything. Their homes were robbed. Their businesses were bombed. Their schools were destroyed. Their personal possessions? Gone. They lost it all.
Fortunately, India’s government came to their aid and offered refuge to everyone from North Sudan. The only problem is, my family was given less than 24 hours notice to evacuate.
At 3 a.m., they grabbed whatever clothes they could fit into a backpack and fled, leaving behind their entire world.
[These pics (taken by my cousin) are of them leaving everything they loved/know behind]
We heard that the roads they were traveling on to get to the evacuation plane were dangerous. They didn’t have cell service, so we couldn’t even keep in touch w/ them while they were in transit. My heart was in pieces thinking about what they were going through.
A few days after they arrived in India, we were finally able to FaceTime w/ them and my uncle via WhatsApp.
To our surprise, my Uncle and the entire family were all in smiles – literally as if nothing had happened.
I furiously asked: “How can you smile after losing everything, why are you acting like nothing happened?”
He then said something in Arabic (which my Dad had to translate) that absolutely shook me to my core and changed my perspective.
What he said:
“Gaurav beta (beta means son), when you constantly focus on what is missing, you miss what is there. I have everything I need in this room. My family, my kids, and the air in my lungs. We’re going to be fine.”
This is where the power of perspective kicks in:
His words have stayed with me ever since. I look at these pictures often because it reminds me of a few things:
- It’s easy to stay in a perpetual state of suffering if all that we focus on is what we don’t have or what we’ve lost.
- Sometimes, the strength to move forward comes from appreciating what remains.
- Our worst day could be someone else’s best.
If you’re going through something difficult right now I hope that this story reminds you that even in your darkest moments, there’s something left to hold on to.
Stay strong, and focus on what’s still there.
If this helps you or can help a friend, feel free to share it with them.
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