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Tuesday Thoughts: Helen Keller
By KeMari | August 28, 2007
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us - Helen Keller
Truer words have never been spoken. Or signed.
Helen Keller is a household name. She conjures up images of strength and determination, of courage and humanitarianism. Often times, her name brings inspiration for those who seek it. Other times, her name is used as the butt of a joke, by school-aged children and adults with the same mentality. Through it all, Helen Keller remains a tribute to overcoming difficulties and being strong in the face of adversity.
For myself, Helen Keller has always been a bit of an alien hero; someone I admire but have never been able to fully relate to. However, it is her words, her teachings and her message that I have found comfort in during so many rough times. She really is someone that can put life into perspective for you; even years after her death. Despite a popular belief, she was not born deaf and blind. It was a severe illness that took her sight and hearing away. It is almost more bearable to think she was born with this kind of affliction. But to have known color, to have known music, and then to lose it; I can’t imagine the frustration and devastation.
So many of us have frustrations and devastations, sometimes daily. It is not always easy to see the bright side of things when it seems that we are surrounded by darkness.
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us”.
Those words, taken with full meaning, can be powerful enough themselves, to open doors. If we are just open enough to look away from the dark times, to open our minds, to open our eyes to other possibilities, we might be able to take something awful and turn it into something amazing; much the way Helen Keller did.
So today, if you are down, if you are frustrated, and if a door of happiness has closed for you, look in another direction and find the door that is open.
DiscussionQs: What does the quote mean to you? Do you think Helen Keller is an inspiration to all people or just those with the same afflictions she suffers? How do you find happiness when it feels like there is none?
Tags: Tuesday Thoughts, Helen Keller, Quotes, Attitudes, Kemari Blue, Phattitudes |
I wish I knew how to find happiness when there is none…the only thing I can really do is hug my kids or my husband and feel grateful that I have them even when things feel unrelentingly shitty!!
That’s a good way to do it. Appreciating what you have is probably the best way to overcome your bad times. Even if you have to pretend to be happy, it helps.
excellent post, K! I adore this quote, and have always found Helen Keller inspiring.
I think it helps to make a list of the things you are grateful for… even if it is as simple as a cold soda. It gets you use to looking at the small things that brighten your day, and makes you appreciate things more.
~2
It does help. We have to get back to the little things sometimes.
Fresh cut grass and raindrops on your eyelashes… things like that to make you feel a bit of hope.
Like I said the other day, you can’t bend to the universe, you have to make it bend to you. I believe it 100%.
I was sitting here lamenting food funds, looking at my 100th bag of top ramen, but then I read this and thought, well, at least I have the ramen, and then there’s the iced tea I have too… Yeah, 2s right! Thanks!!
xxoxx
Stephanie
Amen hon… I have always said it… if you think your life is so bad look around and you will find others worse off but never giving up… it’s great you mentioned her cause when people talk about inspirational people I never hear her name… Bravo!!! I watched a show a couple years ago where a man lost both legs in the war but runs marathons on his hands!!! Once again thanks for talking about a forgotten hero and inspiration.
So true. There is always someone worse off, and generally, they have a better disposition.
It’s hard to be inspired to find happiness in the middle of such sorrow sometimes. But its NECESSARY.
Not doing it is like giving up hope. And regardless of skin color, religion, sexual preference, or anything else that separates us from each other, we all share hope.
when I feel down many thought cross my minde that there is no way to find hapiness… BUT.. the presense of someone special (regardless the type of the relationship) pushes me up to look for the bright side… and if this person is not present, there is hope that usually helps to reveal such feeling of frustration…
Thanks for posting such nice qoute….
Hope is all we need. It transcends time, space, religion, race, gender. It is above everything.
And really, if people had more hope, strong hope, depression amongst so many would be lower… suicide would be lower. Life would be easier. But the media and society promotes negativity and it’s hard to escape that way of life.
when I feel down many thoughts cross my minde that there is no way to find hapiness… BUT.. the presense of someone special (regardless the type of the relationship) pushes me up to look for the bright side… and if this person is not present, there is hope that usually helps to reveal such feeling of frustration…
Thanks for posting such nice qoute….
Yay! Wonderful first quote, wonderful quoter. I remember watching Helen Keller’s story in school, oh about a million times, but eventually it sunk in why it was such an amazing story. She is a woman who could have given up, wanted to even, but instead, she found peace with her situation and made it wonderful.
And it’s not like I cannot learn a thing or two from her and her outlook in the end.
xxoxx
Stephanie
She’s such an inspiration. People today don’t really stop and appreciate her message today, but it’s a powerful one. She was revered and liked by so many.
She really did change the world.
Your blog was spot on. Sometimes we focus way too much on the door that is closing rather than actively seeking out the one that opens.
Sadly, it seems to be taught at a young age to take more note of the negative then the positive. I really want to vanish this kind of thought process. The world would be such a better place if people could stop focusing on all the closed doors.
you are so wise. this is exactly what i needed to hear today. thank you!
Not so much wisdom as it is a philosophy and a lifestyle choice.
With a little mental conditioning, I think we can all live this way: looking for the open doors instead of focusing on the closed ones.
Helen Keller was amazing and a truly inspirational story. When I think back to growing up, I can remember reading about Helen Keller and Anne Frank. Both amazingly strong women who don’t get enough credit.
I love this quote…I’m going to put it up at my desk. Thanks girl!
I love this quote too. It’s one I live by daily.
I learned a long time ago to stop paying attention to closed doors. I’d rather go for the open ones anyways.
I am so grateful to my boyfriend who coaxes me out of the house for a walk and then asks me the question, “Where do we live, Lisa?” And I answer, “Paris.” Then there’s the little voice that starts its rant, “But…but…the money’s dwindling…the house isn’t selling…how long can this last…blah blah blah.” If we were in Schenectady, I’d still be holding my boyfriend’s hand, and be grateful for that. I think, as humans, we create structure around us, then we start believing that our lives would be a mess without that structure. It’s a little lie we tell ourselves. Structures and people and things come and go and our lives are recreated with every breath we take.
Thanks for reminding me about Helen.
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