We're all loving life when everything is going right. The stars seem to be aligned. Money is flowing, relationships are healthy, family is doing well, days are happy and nights are a blast.
And then ... BOOM!
Life throws one of its infamous curve balls. The company you work for downsizes and you're all of a sudden out of a job. Your Dad gets diagnosed with cancer. You find out that your wife is having an affair. You get really sick and your health insurance isn't covering your medical bills. You get into a car accident and the driver that hit you doesn't have auto insurance. Your best friend overdoses. The list varies tremendously and is endless.
I know too many people whose inner dialog goes directly to ... 'Why Me', 'My life Sucks!', 'I'll never get ahead', 'I can't handle this'. We've all been in situations that we want to run from, hide from, and pretend they're not happening. But, life doesn't care about our emotions. Life simply unfolds. It's up to us to control our thoughts and our emotions when these times hit.
Now, these curve balls are tough and can be incredibly vicious and in a lot of cases, life changing. But, here's the thing. It's a million times harder to deal with when you have a negative mindset. If we need moments to be weak, be weak. If we need to cry and scream, cry and scream. There is no shame in it. But, ALWAYS come back to your center. Always know that it will work itself out.
I personally have been through some of the toughest times, some of life's most painful chapters. And even in those dark moments, I had choices. I could walk the path of a bitter, loveless, angry woman; full of resentment toward God and all that have betrayed me. Or, I could choose to see these moments as opportunities to grow, to build my strength and my character. Not to build up emotional walls, but more so to build up my emotional armor to fight another day with more grace. To be more understanding of my journey, instead of being angry with it.
You see, life is not supposed to be simple or perfect or easy. It's a roller coaster of love and happiness. Of loss and pain. Of beautiful moments and horrible consequences. It's the biggest combination of pure exhilaration and crushing madness.
THIS WILL ALL HAPPEN.
But, if we choose to see the light, if we choose to embrace the good and we allow love in our hearts, the pain that we have endured and will endure again, will never break us.
We are the writers of our stories. We are the heroes. We have all the control. Not always over the circumstances but ALWAYS over our thoughts, our emotions and our reactions to those circumstances.
So, stay blessed. Stay grateful. Stay focused. And always stay humble. Love life every single day. Especially the bad days for those days hold the most important lessons.