I have a dear friend who is in the midst of a crisis of faith–not necessarily in a religious sense, although there is a spiritual component to her “lost wanderings”, but more of a bewilderment at Life in general.
I’ve found it very difficult to know what to say to help her. I don’t want to parrot the old maxims that are insulting in their triteness but yet there has to be something that someone has said that can give a flicker of light to someone struggling in the murk and gloom.
Below are a few quotes I found that I thought might give her something to cling to as she works her way through this.
Let me know what you think of them:
Life is filled with unanswered questions, but it is the courage to seek those answers that continues to give meaning to life. You can spend your life wallowing in despair, wondering why you were the one who was led towards the road strewn with pain, or you can be grateful that you are strong enough to survive it. ― J.D. Stroube, Caged by Damnation
Does anything in nature despair except man? An animal with a foot caught in a trap does not seem to despair. It is too busy trying to survive. It is all closed in, to a kind of still, intense waiting. Is this a key? Keep busy with survival. Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go. ― May Sarton, Journal of a Solitude
Those who make us believe that anything’s possible and fire our imagination over the long haul, are often the ones who have survived the bleakest of circumstances. The men and women who have every reason to despair, but don’t, may have the most to teach us, not only about how to hold true to our beliefs, but about how such a life can bring about seemingly impossible social change. ― Paul Rogat Loeb, The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear
Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighborhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful! It is easy to be thankful when all is well. A Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but also for all that has been denied.
~Elif Shafak
When all else is lost, the future still remains. ― Christian Bovee
But hope is no less realistic than despair. It is still our choice whether to live in light or lie down in darkness. ― Rick Yancey, The Isle of Blood
The death of a dream can in fact serve as the vehicle that endows it with new form, with reinvigorated substance, a fresh flow of ideas, and splendidly revitalized color. In short, the power of a certain kind of dream is such that death need not indicate finality at all but rather signify a metaphysical and metaphorical leap forward.
~Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams
To be truly radical is to make hope possible rather than despair convincing ― Raymond Williams
Which quotes did you like? Let me know in the comments below.
Please pass this post along to a friend. Thanks!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
Yes I Can Pep Talks 
I like the first one about having the courage to seek answers. Tony Robbins says that the quality of our answers depends on the quality of the questions that we ask. I found that sometimes even though we just want to keep spinning our minds around the problem, sending out a quality question will often yield a quality answer.
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Thanks for your comments and insights, Julie. That’s a good point about the quality of the questions you ask. It’s like the GIGO–garbage in, garbage out–principle of computer programing. It pays to pause a few moments so that you can get beyond the surface questions and dig a little deeper to ask ones with answers that will make a difference in your life.
Thanks again for your comment!
Your Friend and Pep Pal,
Lauren
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