“When you reach the end of your rope tie a knot in it and hang on,” Franklin D. Roosevelt. This is something we’ve spoken about before, but in the midst of great change, unknown, and dealing with life as it is, I think we need this little reminder.  Life isn’t meant to be stagnant and that means there will be ups and downs.  When we hit a low, we must learn to climb and garner and develop our own strength.  Sure, we need some help with the initial lift at times, but we have to go through phases that build us up—and often times that may feel like breaking down.  Life is a constant cycle of filling and emptying, endings and beginnings and not all of those are easy to deal with.  Earlier this week we talked about playing the cards we are dealt and sometimes we have a rough hand for a while.  We may not understand the purpose of all the cards in our hand, and frankly, some may truly be awful.  But even those awful, painful, challenging moments are filled with depth and show us how deep the pool of life truly is.  Behind every painful event is a chance for a new, brighter one.

Our priorities have shifted so much over the years, every decade seeming to bring some entirely new mindset.  I find it funny that the more stable things became for us the more we sought ways to create pain in our lives as some way to make ourselves relevant.  Life is tough enough, we don’t need to create any sort of drama.  Our grandparents experience shaped the world and people freak out if someone’s opinion doesn’t match their own.  Not even social opinion, but personal belief.  I think if we took more time to take stock of what we have around us and what is really important we wouldn’t be nearly so quick to anger over what someone thinks.  We’d have a different focus.  When we start eliminating distraction we remember what matters and our values shift from winning and power to living and thriving and creation. We can see the value of our cards and remember to appreciate what we have in life, that this life is a gift.  The fact we are here and cognizant and allowed to create, that we ae living, breathing beings with autonomous thought and function, is a miracle.  So don’t let the tough times stop the climb.        

The cards I’ve been dealt: being short and having my progress hindered professionally, being tortured because of how short I am, the early loss of my grandfather, nearly losing my siblings, losing my cousin, hating myself so much that I didn’t think I should live, not having true friendship or companionship early on, my boyfriend cheating on me and “friends” using me, not going away to school, fearing standing on my own, being completely misconstrued as a child, switching careers and not feeling established near mid-life.  A beautiful son, a close relationship with my parents, amazing vacations and seeing the country, hearing my dad sing at my wedding, the ability to see people from all angles, the ability to create, the ability to inspire and help people be better, the ability to solve issues and heal, putting myself through college and LMT training, the ability to sing, dance, and cook and bake, and stand up for those who need it, amazing friends who care, coming from a family of entrepreneurs, admiring the hearts of faith that I come from, a beautiful home, food on my table, clothes on my back, books upon books, curiosity, writing and sharing my words, the ability to care for my body/mind/soul.  I’ll stand.