When Everything Goes Down the Drain #mental health

 

Sometimes life has to fall apart so we can rise differently.

Life is like this, have you noticed? When everything is calm for too long, suddenly a wind blows in a different direction, the clouds shift in the sky to remind you that the universe is dynamic, and then a big challenge appears.
Whether it’s being fired, a breakup, an unexpected pregnancy, a fight in traffic or with a neighbor, a roof coming loose from the house, or an illness in the family.

I truly believe life is a constant back-and-forth, nothing ever stops. The waves don’t stop, our breathing doesn’t stop, and since the Creator is One and perfect, challenges appear to shape us. Just as a blacksmith must hammer the iron to give it form, just as a diamond suffers through its polishing, life presents us with the “blows” of destiny that form us as they happen.

What will we do with the blow? Will we fall and stay on the ground? Cry, paralyzed? Will we look for mercy in someone else’s eyes? Revolt, scream, make a dramatic scene? I don’t know… I don’t judge.

Pain is unique, and it hurts each person differently. I’m not here to create a competition of who suffers more; that would be disrespectful.

What usually happens to me is that at first, I do all of that: I scream, I cry, I curse, I look for a comforting glance or hug from someone dear. But then I realize that the problem doesn’t move… it just stares back at me, as if saying, “So? What are you going to do about me?” There’s no way to pretend the problem doesn’t exist. It stays like a giant white elephant in the middle of the room… and it bothers me.

Tired of looking at the elephant, I start thinking about how to remove it, and then comes the second stage: finding solutions. Problems don’t disappear with tears or yelling; they only leave when we discover a strategy.

So when my tears dry and the hugs have been given, I pick up my sword, climb on my horse, drink something to strengthen myself, and fight. I fight hard — I battle, I face the “beast” tirelessly. The more it jumps, the more I jump. The louder it screams, the louder I scream. And suddenly it (and I) realize how strong I am and that there’s no point in trying to shake me.

I face the neighbor, the husband, the illness, the job — whatever it may be. I draw strength from God and from the deepest part of myself, and then the problem begins to shrink in an incredible way. I am resilient enough to understand there’s no point in looking back, lamenting what happened. If the milk spilled, if the glass broke — it happened. I accept it.

After acceptance — when your foot touches the very bottom of the pit — it gives you the push you need to rise. There’s no more “down”; there is only up.

My friend, I don’t know if this makes sense to you right now, but I KNOW that inside you there is a strong fighter, and what moves you is love.
Love for whom? For yourself.
No one is going to defend you. No one can pick up your sword and fight — only you.

Don’t run. Face it.
Don’t lament. Rebuild whatever needs to be rebuilt, however, wherever.

And as the saying goes:
“Just go. And if you’re afraid, go afraid anyway.”

Tell me later how it went.