This Too Shall Pass

She had it all.  Natural beauty.  A slim body.  A high-profile career.  An apartment in a high-rent district in New York.  So if she appeared to have everything going for her, what would prompt Russian model Ruslana Korshunova to jump off of a building?

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The one thing each of us can be certain of in life is change.  The quote "This too shall pass" is a constant truth.  Few situations in life are permanent.  Fortunately, one of the permanent situations in life is our ability to choose.  We can choose to let a situation affect us negatively or positively.  We can choose if we will turn lemons into lemonade.  We can choose to seek help or not.  We can choose to survive, thrive or die.

It puzzles many to discover that rich people can suffer with overwhelming episodes of depression.  It has been reported that Heather Locklear is in a medical facility for depression.  The common question that springs to mind of ordinary folks struggling to put gas in their tanks, lose twenty pounds, save for a small vacation, or place their children in extracurricular school programs is: What does she have to be depressed about?  Happiness is not a by-product of wealth.  It is difficult to convince those who do not have wealth that money does not bring happiness.  Many of us believe that if we had money it would eliminate so much of our worries and unhappiness in life.

I believe that if a person really takes the time to assess what has brought them the most joy in life, money, most probably, played little part in it.  Being surrounded by good friends, enjoying a hearty laugh, eating a delicious meal with family, spending alone time at a beach, watching a dog chase his tail, participating in a lively debate with a significant other, getting dressed excitedly for a new date, achieving success at work, helping someone who could not help themselves, watching a child's accomplishment and receiving an unexpected compliment are but a few of the cost free joys in life. 

Problems, like joy, are temporary.  Life will always be a tremendous rollercoaster ride.  But while in the midst of  the darkest of clouds, the loneliest of moments, the scariest of days, remember: This, too, shall pass.