This week’s post is by Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian, a heart surgeon born and practicing in India. Dr. Sivasubramanian is author of the book 47 Hearts and founder of Children Heart Foundation, which is dedicated to helping children born with congenital heart defects. The book title was based on the number of heart operations the Foundation had arranged as of the writing of the book. You can learn more about the book 47 Hearts on Amazon.com or you can visit their website, www.47hearts.com

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.
Epictetus
55 – 135 A.D.

The following excerpts from 47 Hearts are printed with permission.

Be Grateful. It’s the key to happiness

Think about how much we take for granted. When we go to sleep every night we take for granted that we’ll wake up the next morning — but not everyone does.

There are many other things — food, clean drinking water, freedom, health and more — that we often don’t think about — but which many others desperately yearn to have.

Feeling a deep thankfulness for all you have is a common trait among people who have achieved great things in life. More important, it is your key to being happy all the time. How can you feel regret when you realize you are more blessed than ninety percent of people on earth.

It’s easy to give up but it’s important to hang on

Things won’t always go your way as you try to make your dreams come true. And they sometimes get bleak, dark and hopeless.

At moments like that, it is tempting to just throw up your hands, abandon hope and give up. That’s when you must focus on the purpose of what you’re doing.

Remember, you once decided that this was worthwhile. You felt that the benefits justified your efforts. You thought this merited action for as long as was necessary.

All that is still true. That’s why it is important to hang in there and keep trying — even when you feel like bailing out.

Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin
1706 – 1790