We learn early on in our lives that we can’t always get what we want. Even those that have been spoiled throughout their whole lives realize that their entitlement has an expiration date. It’s not fun to be told no, much less not being able to have something you truly want.

It can be materialistic things, emotional fulfillment or physical relief. It was a huge struggle in the past when I was desperate for all three. Everyone in the world wants money (how much is up to each individual), they want love (the question is what kind or how they want it), and they want good health (no pain, no discomfort, just normal.)

To have these three key components in our lives… we have to accept the reality that it’s all just temporary. This is something I learned recently as a Christian woman and it was a harsh wake-up call… but one that has made my life more bearable when I am told no. Before, it was all about the mini pity-party, the sour look on my face and the grudge that lasted for about a day. Now, it lasts just a couple minutes with a new outcome called ACCEPTANCE.

Everything passes. Joy. Pain. The moment of triumph; the sigh of despair. Nothing lasts forever – not even this

Paul Stewart, The Edge Chronicles 6: Midnight Over Sanctaphrax: Third Book of Twig

That awesome camera that costs five times the amount of money that I have in my bank account right now has no real significance in my life besides taking professional pictures. The photos that meant the world to me may have gotten deleted from my phone but never from my memory. The mental illness that had control over my life for 6 years eventually made me in to the woman I am today, depression-free and happy.

Every time I’m told no now, I may get upset, I may wish it would’ve worked out, but then I remember that God has a plan for me. The same way I tell myself to “Just breathe,” I also tell myself the everything on Earth is just temporary and my real life waits for me up in Heaven. Everything that fulfills me here has a deadline, an expiration date, a moment where it will come to an end.

Just as there are some good things that come to an end, so do the struggles we face every day.

If you’re going through an emotional battle, it’s only temporary. If your body has taken a harsh beating and pain is all you feel, it’s only temporary. If you’re struggling to make ends meet now or can’t take a simple weekend-long vacation to another state, it’s only temporary. Just as there are some good things that come to an end, so do the struggles we face every day.

It may take some time, it may not always be the outcome we want, but God doesn’t give you something that you can’t handle. It doesn’t matter if you believe in Him or not. There’s temporary pain, as well as, struggle and there’s temporary happiness. Soon I’ll write a part 2 on this topic, but for now, try to challenge yourself in accepting what’s temporary and what you believe to be everlasting.