[2021-08-19] Revive and have courage

Today, a friend tagged me in a Facebook post presenting a photo from Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which is currently running in Ottawa. The photo includes an excerpt from a letter Vincent sent to his brother, Theo, in 1882:

I also believe that it may happen that one succeeds, and one mustn’t begin by despairing; even if one loses here and there, and even if one sometimes feels a sort of decline, the point is nevertheless to revive and have courage, even though things don’t turn out as one first thought.

I agree with van Gogh that we must revive and have courage when things don't turn out as we thought they would. At the same time, we mustn't despair if overcoming adversity takes time.

While I've often thought of myself as a resilient person—able to bounce back quickly from difficulties—I've had my days when I've felt tired or unappreciated or misunderstood. On those occasions, I have found it helpful to temporarily switch my focus from trying to please others to taking care of myself. Sometimes I need to replenish my cup before I can fill other people's cups again.

I like this other van Gogh quote:

The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too.

Don't forget the pearls.