Hopeless Conditions

I see and hear a lot of stories of people who are living in what seems to them as a hopeless situation. People from all over the country tune in to listen to Dave Ramsey because they are looking for hope when it comes to their money situation. They want a way out of the mess they are in.

Whether the financial situation they are in is self imposed or a result of some awful catastrophe, there is nothing easy about their despair. I say all of this because I found a quote from Christopher Reeve (Superman) in his book Still Me. The book was written after his horse riding accident that severed his spine and left him paralyzed from his shoulders to his toes. Despite his situation, he and his wife Dana were still able to find hope and offer it to others. Here is what he had to say.

"When a catastrophe happens it's easy to feel so sorry for yourself that you can't even see anybody around you. But the way out is through your relationships. The way out of that misery or obsession is to focus more on what your little boy needs or what your teenagers need or what other people around you need. It's very hard to do, and often you have to force yourself. But that is the answer to the dilemma of being frozen - at least it's the answer I found."

How would life be different for us all if we decided to focus on the well being of others, rather than throwing a pity party for ourselves?