Roses and Thorns

 “Roses and thorns are parts of the same plant. Somehow though, some people are concerned mainly about the roses. The rose is not on the plant for more than a week, but the thorns are there forever.
Roses are teaching that the beauty of life will bloom, once you have taught yourself the lessons given by living with the thorns.” -Grigoris Deoudis

I saw this quote on tumblr today, and I thought it was beautiful and true.

We always look for roses in life, and who wouldn't? But we forget the many thorns that lead to them. I guess that's what someone means when they say that bad times are there so we can appreciate the good times. Stories teach this, for without the obstacles, how could the hero grow and change?
But still, this quote means more than that in my opinion. It's a quote about acceptance. Accepting the bad with the good is an important step in growing up. Understanding that good things don't always just happen and there are consequences to every action.
My problem is that I always look for thorns but I still expect roses. I go through life expecting the worst constantly, but still feel shocked and hurt when the worst happens. I guess I do this because I don't see the value of thorns. I only expect them and know that whatever I go through will be difficult and complicated. It's a grueling process, but it has become such a habit that I do this without thinking. Cringe for the worst and when it happens, expect it to be even more horrible.
I don't see the roses in my life. I don't see their value. I go through the thorns, expecting to come across at least one flower, but I have already set myself up for disappointment. All I expect are thorns, so all I get are thorns. There could be roses all around me, but because I focus on the thorns, I don't see them.
I'm not looking at the entire picture, and I have a negative bias that keeps me focused on the bad constantly.
At first, when I started doing this, I thought it was accepting the thorns, but it isn't. Instead of accepting the thorns, I am allowing them to control my life. So how do I step back to see the whole picture?

Photos by me

Bravery

"I always wanted to be brave. I figured, do the brave thing and bravery would follow." - Belle - Once Upon A Time

What is the definition of bravery? I know it takes a certain amount of bravery to do the right thing, stand up for what you believe in and pursue your dreams. It's not easy to be brave. It's often overwhelming and scary to  change something in your life. A habit, a routine can cause something in you to shift, making you discover a part of yourself you didn't know existed.
All heroes in stories must be brave. In order to do so, they have to accept their situation or at least acknowledge it, and then do something about it. It's one of those simple but difficult decisions to make. Once you change something about yourself, or your life, you discover that you have what it takes to make a difference. Whether this act is a simple response or a well thought out plan, the result is the same. Being brave is an opportunity to learn what you can do. It's more than just a decision, it is a step toward becoming who you want to be.

Belle & Rumplestiltskin - Beauty and the Beast

Because this was so well done. I think Rumpelstiltskin and Belle are my favorite couple in Once Upon A Time now. So much meaning in a little chipped cup :(