Does Life Frustrate You?

Trust me, you are not alone. Most people let life frustrate them. Not knowing how to make ends meet, or problems with kids, work, cars, house, or your spouse can be hard. How about all of them in one? It seems like too much.

When I look back at my life, it seems like there was nothing but frustration. It seemed like it was inevitable. There were just too many problems to deal with in my life. I couldn’t cope.

Yet…

I’m still here. I love life and find joy in each day. Are there days that are tough? Sure. When I look at how things are today compared to five years ago, I can’t say that everything is better. They don’t have to be for me to be happy.

Coping With Disaster

Honestly, I look at several of my ancestors and wonder how they could go on. Let me share a few examples.

Louanna Mieares married Marion Powell Fincher in 1841 when they lived in Alabama. By 1863, they lived in Arkansas and had nine children when Marion Powell died in a Confederate Army camp. She had very little to live on in a war deprived state, yet she went on. I’m sure she had feelings of frustration. Dreams dashed but still needing to support her children, she found a way. She eventually remarried and found happiness.

Helene von Gehr lived a good life with her husband Ernst Biensfeld on their estate, Kowgirren, in Memelgebiet. They started their family, but as things in the world changed, so did their lives. After World War I ended, their region was turned into a protectorate that was to self-determine to which country they would belong. Others had different ideas on how that should happen, and the 90% German population found themselves under Lithuanian control. Ernst was not happy with the circumstances and apparently voiced that clearly. He disappeared and Helene had to manage the estate with her children. She did not stop, though I’m sure it was very trying.

Ernst returned six months later, but things only got better for a while. In the end, they lost everything in World War II. As refugees, they watched grandchildren die and assumed their son was dead. Yet, she went on with her life. She didn’t give up.

Celebrate Your Success

Don’t assume that you have no success in life. Things often don’t turn out quite like you may expect, but it is practice. Get up and try again, because you just found another way that didn’t work, so you are closer to the solution.

I have been practicing this all my life, but I was not conscious of it. As I become conscious, I find that there are a lot of opportunities for me to learn some really valuable lessons. I love finding lessons in my mistake, but I love finding them in the lives of my ancestors. It is almost life a double-sided manual for life. If I see mistakes, it is time to learn a lesson about what not to do. When I see a success, time to take notes on what was going right.

As I search my day for successes, I find that I am a rather successful person. Some days are better than others, but regardless, I am looking to celebrate. You can too. I highly recommend it. It will change your life.

A New Opportunity

I am offering to you an opportunity to join me in a six week course on connecting with your ancestors. I will be conducting it on Facebook via Facebook Live videos and group discussion. There is no cost to this class. I want to share with you some of the great lessons I have learned in how to connect with ancestors. It helps in connecting with your family and those you associate with, and it is fun. I’ll be announcing the dates next week, so watch for more information. I hope you will join me and find the joy, and the fun, of connecting and learning.