Shortly after I walked in my friend’s house on Friday night I was able to catch the end of Grey’s Anatomy. Near the end I listened to one of the voices that gives the quotes throughout the episode. Although I’m not sure which actor said it, it stuck with me. The “it” I’m referring to is a quote that went something along the lines of, “Death is not the only thing that brings pain and suffering. Life and change does that too. The thing that keeps us going is that it can all turn on a dime.”
It took a few minutes for all of the words to register, but when they did I gave it some thought. There are a multitude of things that bring pain and suffering and these things affect all of us differently. Some people have the ability to confront them and realize that time will heal the pain. However, some others dwell on the unfortunate incident and let it rule their lives. Instead of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel they let the darkness consume them. When the darkness fills the room there is no escaping from it. Very often a small attitude adjustment might be all that is needed. I usually compare this type of thing to the rain. Although we can sometimes get rain for days on end it will eventually subside. In the process we might have to evacuate our residence or go to higher land for a few days……..but it will stop. The same holds true to the pain that we carry with us.
I’ve seen many people that let their past rule their present. They refuse to move forward because of something that happened to them in the past. They let a former lover or incident have total control over them. We must always remember that every adventure is different. No two people are the same and we must recognize this to find happiness.
The pain we carry with us can sometimes be paralyzing, but it will never go away if we don’t find peace with the incident that caused it. Every person finds peace in their own way and nobody can tell you how to do it. This is something that comes from within. This is what builds our personality and character. In order to find peace it is essential to forgive. Forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools in the world. Far too many people carry anger and hatred with them because it was never acknowledged, addressed and taken care of in a proper way. This can sometimes lead to the downfall of a relationship. When the anger isn’t addressed it can come out in the worst way at a very bad time. I’ve seen it happen throughout the course of my life with a few people that were close to me.
For a long time I saw nothing but a dark hallway in front of me. Inside I knew that I would come out the other side, but I also knew that I had to take time to heal before I would find whatever it was that might make everything turn on a dime.
The last few days I’ve learned that my life turned around when I began the project of writing this book. My whole life took a different direction then and I became more at one with myself. It allowed me to go back to a place I hadn’t been in a long time. It also allowed me to find many peaceful times where my mind was completely rested. As I climbed the steps of the book building project I became stronger. Somehow I created a new meaning in my life. Although it sounds simple it was somewhat complicated.
A few days from now will be the first of October. Fall is here which is my favorite time of year. I expect that this fall will be one of the greatest ones that I’ve ever experienced, solely because of where my mind is right now. I won’t have to trudge across mountains with a backpack full of heartache or confusion. Instead, I’ll just go slowly and take the scenery in. If I feel like stopping to get a better view that will be ok.
Life and the changes in my life have kept me going. These changes have brought me to a wonderful place which I’m happy to be in. Wherever life brings us we have to remember that we are like the water in a river. We all start in the same place and we all have to float along and let the river take us where it wants to. The river will take all of us to different places. No matter where it brings us we have to find peace with that and know that the things we do and the way we act are the only things that can improve our position.
If a person falls from a raft in whitewater he is told to keep his feet in front of himself and go with the water. He shouldn’t fight it and waste useful energy. Life is very much the same. As you move forward remember what to do if you’re thrown from the raft. At that point you are the only who can help yourself.