I just found the password for my blog I started writing five years ago. After just three posts in 2011, it all went dormant. My passion for writing had a very short life because sad things started to happen, which has led me to this blog post …
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Over the past five years, I lost my marriage of 19 years, I lost some friendships, I lost my job of 20 years, my two daughters grew up way too fast, and I felt as though I was pretty much losing my grip on most everything. Life-changing events changed me, shook me to my core, and sent me to the land of deep soul-investigation.
Awhile back, I saw Robert Downey, Jr. on The Oprah Winfrey Show talk about how he was able to kick his heroin addiction. He said, “It’s not that difficult to overcome these seemingly, ghastly problems. What’s hard is to DECIDE that you’re going to overcome them.”
I was impacted forever by these words. Our choices truly dictate our future. While I wasn’t struggling with heroin addiction, I needed to overcome the feeling of failure and sadness.
Since I am not a fan of the victim mentality – I DECIDED to dig deep and lean into the lessons. For me, staying a student of life has always been a good guide for keeping my character-compass in check.
So I made myself get still. I mapped out a plan to help myself get out of a very dark place. I started to read, journal, and surround myself with amazing, successful people who had their fair share of overcoming. I opened up, asked for help, and became more transparent than ever. I talked openly with my parents and my siblings about anything and everything. I let safe people in. I got in front of godly, life-changing teaching. I prayed, I cried, I forgave. I chose not to be mad at anyone or take the path of offense. I examined my own heart and owned my poor choices and actions of the past. I went on a hunt to find the silver lining. And then it started to happen. I began to heal.
My thinking started to change and my actions followed suit. I started to become a person with purpose again. I got a new attitude (sing it, Patti!) and set new goals, which literally affected me mentally, spiritually and physically. I had challenges on my journey, but the determination to get on the other side finally beat failure.
Everything I feared would ruin me actually revived me.
Five years ago, my cookie-cutter life was intact. By society’s standards, five years later, perhaps it’s not. But my mind, heart and soul are in alignment and focused on what I have to offer, not what I lost.
I found peace in the storm and contentment in the chaos. I climbed out of what could’ve been a deep depression, but with God’s help, amazing friends and family, and DECIDING to overcome, I got on the other side. This is why the lessons matter. They don’t make us weaker. They make us better.
