Embracing the good and accepting the not so good of life is the way forward - Daxa Patel

Like seasons we, in our personal lives, go through spring, summer, autumn and winter. Nothing stays the same even though we are different to who we were, say, a year ago, both physically and emotionally.

So, when things happen which are outside our control like the economy, relationships and life, remember this.

Of course, when we lose something or someone we treasure it is hard but it helps to put our experience into context. Often a loss of job can lead to an opportunity for a better position.

Loss of a loved one is not something we can ever get over but in time, we realise from loss we find hope to make sense of the blessings from this relationship.

Things do not always go according to plan. Now we all know about that, the best laid plan often goes in a different direction and while it is frustrating at the start, we may eventually see that perhaps it was for the best.

As humans we tend to beat ourselves up when things do not go to plan but how does that help? It will diminish our energy and mojo. So the next time this happens to you try to see this is as part of life and don’t get riled up about it.

Life is not always fair. I love this. How many times have we seen some people get away without being caught? A few famous people come to mind but occasionally, comeuppance does intervene.

On a serious note though, I have witnessed hard working people being paid ‘peanuts’ even though they have dedicated their lives in service, our nurses come to mind.

Then on the other hand we see ‘lucky’ people being paid obscene amounts of money who make no contribution to humanity and are oblivious to the plight of those in need.

People are not always loving and loyal all the time. It pays to be a bit more understanding as it is not always possible to be loving and loyal all the time. I am sure my dog will be the first to vouch for this.

Pain is part of life. It's a fact of life because without pain we would not appreciate the more joyful moments.

Life is a mixture of sweet and sour and rather than complaining why not be less hard on ourselves and those around us. If we were all perfect, life would be like the Stepford Wives humdrum and boring, and we would not need to grow and find the meaning of life.

The beauty of life is that each moment is a miracle in motion. We just do not know what is around the corner, hence why wise people will tell us to make the most of life.

Be kind to those in our world including complete strangers. We never know our smile might make someone’s day more bearable.

If we are philosophical about the given facts of life, we can put situations in perspective and see these for what they are.

Likewise, we can put strategies in place to do our best to accept what is.

Daxa Manhar Patel is a solicitor, author and executive coach.