Day Six: inspiration

 

Keep trying...it works! 

Yesterday I presented opportunities to rise above your challenges, rather than remaining mired in your unhappiness....just keep climbing. From many of you however, I heard replies of: "I can't do it! It seems hard! I am happier in my unhappy place!"

How can you be happy in an unhappy place? Is it because you are comfortable there? Does change frighten you? Afraid of the unknown? Are you afraid of failing? Of letting go of past hurts? What would happen if...you...just...let...go?

Up until a few years ago, I was full of pain. My sister died unexpectedly at age 25. My marriage was shot, he'd had an affair that I COULD NOT recover from.

I HAD HURTS ABOUT MY MOM'S ABUSE OF ME, OF MY DAD'S REFUSAL TO DEAL WITH IT, OF EVERYTHING IN LIFE. Life OWED ME ONE! 

I was in counseling and was told to let go of just one thing at a time. But which one thing? I secretly and sadistically enjoyed the fact that I had a weapon- past pain -and that I could wield it at will. But...why? I mean, who really cared anyway? Everyone else around me had pain of their own! So...one by one...I let go. I wrote a book about my childhood abuse. ("Hope Survives," Avid Readers Publishing Group 2008) It has gone on to help so many people, because once I took the bitter parts out and just laid it out for all to see, it actually was beneficial to so many others who also suffered the same fate. Same with my sad marriage. My sister's passing was harder for me to deal with. But once I was able to see that she was at peace with what had daunted her, I could then move on. 

Keep trying! Yes it sounds easy when all you want to do is surround yourself with pain, self medicate with alcohol and repeat the process, but at some point, when you see that life does get easier with time, patience and practice, you will come to appreciate not having to carry that heavy baggage around. What a feeling of relief that is!

Keep trying...one day at a time. That is all that is asked of any one of us. Keep trying! Remember Dorie in "Finding Nemo?" Always a sunny personality and her motto was "just keep swimming...just keep swimming..."

and so it is with you....