Sunday Snippet: Beki Kazazian

“I’m the happiest I can be. I got my two boys. My family. The greatest friends. The dream business. My health. And many more dreams to accomplish. Life is really what you make of it. I have [bad] days. And trust me, things don’t always go my way. But at the end of the day, if you can’t smile and shrug off the bad stuff, what is the point?”

With previous entries in the Sunday Snippet series, I’ve highlighted quotes primarily from celebrities, politicians, comedians, scientists and historical figures. I hope they have been valuable sources of inspiration and insight, regardless of where life’s journey may have taken you so far. We mustn’t forget, though, that the “regular” people in our “normal” lives can be equally insightful and inspirational. And that’s why we turn to Beki Kazazian today.

I’ve never met Beki in real life, but we’ve connected through Facebook by way of mutual friends. A personal trainer and entrepreneur, Beki Kazazian is the CEO and founder of Bodies4Life Training. She’s also a new mom, facing many of the same challenges that many new parents have to face. Life can be hard, especially when you are trying to balance the responsibilities of caring for a helpless infant with the responsibilities of running your own small business. I know the feeling all too well.

And that’s the thing. Life can be hard. Life can be frustrating. Life can be exhausting. You may look at what other people are doing and assume that the grass is always greener on the other side. The fact of the matter is that we all have our struggles and we all need to exercise (poor pun intended) more gratitude for what we have. You’re better off than you might think.

Sometimes, we really can lose sight of how good we have it. If you have a roof over your head, food on the table, and Wi-Fi in the air, you’re ahead of the curve. If you have a loving family and treasured friends, you’re ahead of the curve. If you have a career that provides a sense of fulfillment, you’re ahead of the curve. If you are reasonably healthy with no major ailments, you’re ahead of the curve.

Even if you are missing any of these elements, there’s a good chance you have the opportunity to attain them. It can be hard work. It can be difficult. But when your life is complete, and you’ve still got dreams you wish to accomplish, you’ll be all the happier for it.

As Beki says, just smile and shrug off the bad stuff. Life’s too short to be bitter and resentful. Choose to be happy.