All of us have those times in life when we feel lost. We may lose our way when we experience fear, worry, loneliness, abandonment, anger or other intense emotions brought on by a challenging experience. We’re human and this is just part of the deal.
During some of the more difficult emotions, it’s easy to feel stuck there. Trapped in the place you can’t stand with no answers to help you feel different. Sometimes despair may creep in and create darkness that’s hard to see through.
Then, sometimes when you least expect it, there’s light. You’ve put one foot in front of the other and you begin to find relief - sometimes quickly and sometimes very slowly. You’ve reached out to a friend or treated yourself to something special, or read just the right book, or heard just the right message. You stayed open to new ideas in spite of your pain and found your way out once again.
I have come from darkness back into light many times in my life. What strikes me is that when I was in the depths of fear, worry or despair it was difficult to remember that I’ve always found my way out. If I do remember, I can’t remember how long it took, or how hard it was, or what exactly I did to win the battle.
I look back on my life and see countless high points and low points. And, here I am writing about it and feeling blessed and grateful in this moment. Apparently, I survived!
I’ve heard many times, “Pain is the touchstone of all spiritual progress” and I believe it to be true. Nothing pushes us closer to God or forces us into expanded thinking more than painful experience. From that perspective, I could look at difficult times as an opportunity to grow. Sometimes I do this and other times I try like hell to get to the other side or escape as quickly as possible. I guess that’s just part of the human deal too.
I hope this writing helps me, and you, to remember how far we’ve come when we thought we couldn’t; how courageous we’ve been when we felt so afraid; how strong we were when we felt so weak; and how bright it has been when we’ve come out of the dark. Look at how every experience, good and bad, shapes us and creates the life we live.
Don’t forget to remember, this too ‘did’ pass, and every high and low is part of this grand adventure called life.
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