The Way Out

So I’ve already mentioned, and we all know, that life is hard. We spend so much time and money and energy trying to avoid the hard stuff. When hard stuff happens, we still avoid it.

I recently read an awesome book. Like, in my top 5 favorite. That’s saying something considering how many books I have read. To give you an idea, my parents grounded me from books for an entire summer as punishment for reading too much.

I was deeply touched by the author’s complete openness and honesty. He was in the World Trade Center on 9/11. And his story of his healing process that took years. Healing can take so much time. I was astounded by how much I could relate to this on a personal level.

Sure, I’ve never survived a terrorist attack. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been through life changing pain. Everyone has. You have, too, I bet. It prompts the big questions.

“Why me?”

“Why them?

“What’s the point?”

Really though, what is the point? Why do you get up in the morning? Why do you even smile when there is so much hurt and pain and destruction in the world.

Good news, there is good in the world, too. It makes it easier to go through the pain. Because that’s really the only way out. You have to go through it.

It’s not going to up and leave you alone.

Pain isn’t going to change, or move. You have to be the one to move. You are going to have to walk right through the middle of it, and it will only get worse for a while.

More good news though, it does get better. The neat thing about going through it like that, hitting the worst of the pain, is how much you learn about yourself.

What is really important to you?

There will be something that will keep you moving forward. If there’s not, that’s usually what people call “rock bottom” and you find what you really want. Sometimes that life evaluation is painful in itself.

It’s oh so worth it though.