Life Ain't Like a Sad Country Song...For Long...

I remember September 15, 2009 like it was yesterday.  To date, it was one of the worst days of my life.  I was crossing the street asking myself what else could possibly go wrong today.  My marriage was over, my two employees were leaving for various reasons, my life was flipped completely upside down.  I felt completely helpless.  I remember asking myself that day, why do these horrible things happen all at one time?  Couldn't they be spread out or given in smaller doses?  As if life sees that you are down and then decides to give you one final kick in the gut.  It reminded me of the country song where the guy left her, her dog died, she lost her job, and it was still Tuesday morning.  

I think it is important to remember during these tough times, especially when negative things are happening all at once, to just stand up and keep walking forward.  To realize that this will not be permanent and that life will return to "normal" eventually.  The only thing we can control during these times is our determination to keep fighting, our effort to stay positive and focused on who and what we have, and ask others for help and support.  

Looking back on this date and time in my life I realize now that I felt helpless for a very short amount of time, landed on my feet both personally and professionally, and am in a very happy place today.  During this time I learned four life lessons.  

1. The first lesson I learned is compassion- understanding how a person feeling helpless is the worst possible feeling- recognizing this and offering a word of encouragement when I see it.  Also not being so judgemental towards others as they may be secretly going through something very difficult.  To give people the benefit of the doubt more than I would have in the past.  
2. Second lesson, to be more thankful for what I have versus what I don't have.  There are always people worse off than we are.  It is good to remember this during the tough times.  
3. Third lesson, to cherish the people in my life that love me.  I have always been very independent and during this time I really leaned on my close friends and family.  As a result, I feel like I have even stronger and more open relationships.  
4. Fourth and final lesson- this too shall pass.  It is so easy to think during a horrible time that we will feel this bad forever.  This is a false belief that we all feel when we are in the center of the crap that we will feel like s**t forever. Like everything else in life, it will pass and we will feel better.  

So, our lives may feel from time to time like we are living out a sad country song.  We just need to remind ourselves that it is not for long!  

Comments

[Wayne McCoy]

I've been saying "This too shall pass" for years, and it usually does pass. Good encouragement for a new year!

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Very, very nicely done!