There are five unavoidable givens,
five immutable facts that
come to visit all of us
many times over:
Everything changes and ends.
Things do not always go
according to plan.
Life is not always fair.
Pain is part of life.
People are not loving and
loyal all the time.
These are the core challenges
that we all face.
But too often we live
in denial of these facts.
We behave as if somehow
these givens aren’t always
in effect, or not applicable
to all of us.
But when we oppose these five
basic truths we resist reality, and
life becomes an endless series of
disappointments, frustrations,
and sorrows.
Once we learn to accept and
embrace these fundamental facts,
however, we come to realize that
they are exactly what we need to
gain courage, compassion,
and wisdom - in short,
to find real happiness.
(David Richo)
