As I sit down to write, I'm not really sure what I want to say. So we will see where this goes. I heard the news about Robin Williams and I was overcome by sadness. I thought to myself, but he is so funny. He's not a sad man. As I pulled up a few different articles I started to see that the character he plays in so many different hilarious films was the not the person he had become behind the scenes.
I then began to think, how many other people put on this "happy guy" persona. How many people do I come into contact with that have contemplated suicide in the past? That are contemplating suicide now? How many people have I not had the opportunity to meet because they have already taken their life?
As I sit and think about the reality of this, I have decided that life really comes down to perspective. From my chair it's easy to look at a person like Robin Williams and think he has it all. He's happy, hilarious and rich. What more do you need right? He's travelled the world and been given opportunities I could only dream of. But from his eyes he was sad, lonely and struggled severely with depression and addiction. I cannot know what specific struggles he faced, but I am sure if I had been able to sit down and talk to him yesterday, I would not have seen a happy man.
That made me think about my life. I went through such a low point a few years back that I would still consider it to be a rock bottom. And I thank God that I came through. There were moments I wasn't so sure. I remember one day, in the middle of all that, I was at work listening to a girl complain about menial boy problems. For a moment in time I was almost mad at her. The fact that the biggest problem in her life at that point was that some boy didn't return her phone call seemed like a joke to me. I was envious of the simplicity of her problems. But in the same moment my heart softened. With that being the biggest worry of her life, I was pretty sure she was going to be ok. I realized I couldn't be mad at her for not having to go through the struggles I had. And honestly I wouldn't have wished for her to anyways. From my perspective her boy problems were so small and simple. But to her, from her current perspective, it felt like her world was falling apart.
I think if I was able to go back in time and talk to this girl again I would tell her to be thankful she had a boy talking to her at all, some girls don't. To be thankful that she had parents who could afford to buy her her own cell phone, some girls don't. And especially to be thankful that she had a friend to talk it all over with, many people do not have that support. But on that same note, from Robin Williams perspective, I am sure there are a few things he could tell me to be more thankful for too. Had I seen this light in my dark days, maybe it would have made them a little brighter.
This is how I came to the conclusion that life is all about perspective. Life is not about what you do not have. Life is about what you do have. The only difference between these two sentences is one word. One simple word, but one not so simple concept. Sometimes I wonder how many lives would be saved if more people saw life in the latter.
I guess if I could leave you with something from all of this it would be one of my all time favorite quotes:
"Be kind to everyone you meet, they're fighting a battle you know nothing about."
Some peoples lives may seem perfectly held together to you on the "stage", but you have no idea what's going on behind their scenes. Be the smile the brightens their day. Be the kind act that restores their hope. Be the person that helps them see the GOOD in this world. And live a life that gives them a reason to change their perspective.
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