ten years later.......
Hoda Kotb just published a book titled "Ten Years Later." It chronicles the lives of six people who, ten years ago, never thought they'd be where they are NOW. I looked back over my life and can honestly say that ten years ago, when my life was shaking up, I never thought that I would be here NOW. Why do we always paint a picture of our future as gloom and doom? We become so focused the negative that we miss "tragedies" as being a positive force in our lives as well. Maybe you lost a job, a house, a relationship. Instead of the doom of "now what?' look at it from "oh...what NOW?" See?
I sometimes lay awake at night when I can't sleep and think about "what if?" What if...I suddenly was on my own again? Instead of seeing the tragic side (yes it would be tragic, but stay with me here!) I look at it this way: are my finances in good shape? Does he have a life insurance policy? Is his health good? Are there bad habits that maybe we can work out together that may end his life sooner if they are not addressed? How is the marriage going? Are we a strong couple or do we take each other for granted? See? Use it as a life changer instead of a deal breaker! You can do this with almost any situation. Just imagine the positive side of things. You may be surprised at what you think of.
So many of us take life, jobs and people for granted.... "it'll be here tomorrow." Well...you do NOT know that! This doesn't mean you need to obsess over the tragic, but use it as an opportunity to grow, expand, learn and move forward. Like car insurance, you'll probably never need it, but it's good to know that you have it!
I looked back over my last ten years and have seen how much I have grown. I took a few steps in the wrong direction, but the lessons I learned helped me to mature and grow in the right direction! I am more compassionate, less judgmental, more patient. Yes, ten years ago, as things started to unfold, I was scared...I felt I couldn't go on, that I was stuck. But it's only in the risk taking that we learn who we are. We step out of that comfort zone and reach forward and realize the sky is really NOT the limit, that we can go as far as we imagine!
Today, reach out...see what is in store for you. Have faith that if God brought you TO it, He will bring you THROUGH it!!
May you find peace in your soul!!
"The bottom line...is that you know what to fix, what to put up with, and what to walk away from."
ReplyDeleteGod's ways are so above ours. He sees the whole parade, from beginning to end, while we can only see one small portion. There are many things that we will never know or understand while on this earth, so we must have faith in who He is and take Him at His word and trust Him for the things we don't yet understand.
ReplyDeleteKnowing you...and the many things that you have gone through, this does not surprise me that you can say this. There are many out there, though, for whom their own little hole looks just too deep and they choose to not climb out, even with help from others. Its just where they want to be.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the efforts you made in writing and sharing your points of view. Looking forward to learn some more from you. Keep it up. Home Insurance Murrieta CA
ReplyDeleteTen years ago I was in an abusive relationship. I realized that my life was slipping past and I didn't want to lose out on the future. So I left him. Now I am married and so happy. The stress of walking on eggshells is gone! Halleluia!!!
ReplyDeleteTen years later? Ha! One year later and I am in a different place than I ever thought that I would be. It created some upheaval, however and someone that I love lost something that HE loved because of my presence in his life. I also lost out on a chance to reunite with my mom...and have gained a new future too. It has been a roller coaster--some good, some bad and some I don't even wish to think about. But forge ahead we must...life is never stagnant, that is for certain!
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