HOPE MONTH: DAY 5: “Stop trying to be less of who you are. Let this time in your life cut you open and drain all of the things that are holding you back.”― Jennifer Elisabeth
I especially love this quote. In my early recovery, I had a couple of nicknames…one was “Merry Sunshine Sparkle” and the other was “Susie Creamcheese”. I was optimistic and hopeful, no matter what was going on. Still am.
Why? Because I write that gratitude letter every single day…every single day. No matter what. And I see the abundance and flow of good that comes to me…no matter what. Just when I think some kind of disaster is pending, (Thanks Ego! Your input is NEVER valuable!) I can turn it around in one second by just remembering all the times life has given me what I needed and wanted at just the perfect moment. Never in advance, always right on time. I don’t know it is coming, so I have to have some HOPE for it to turn out well.
Every time, it is better, SO much better than I ever hoped. Does life go on? Yep! I have buried so many dearly beloved people in the last 35 years…a husband, an adopted daughter, several sponsors, so many friends and loved ones! And also pets, about a dozen cats, 4 dogs, and never once did I believe I was not blessed to have had them, rather than sitting in the so-called loss. Gifts are gifts, no matter what their expiration date may be. I don’t get to say. But I have learned to live in this day, this moment and be grateful for whomever is here with me, no matter what that form may take.
In the current world we inhabit, which has been nearly a year now since this began I have been SO happy and hopeful because what I see happening is a death of a lifestyle that was not mindful. Nor was it peaceful or love-filled. Now I see families coming together in new ways, a return to simple pleasures, such as cooking meals together and spending time playing games, doing puzzles, crafting, etc.
I love the line above…”Let…life cut you open and drain all of the things that are holding you back.” Wow! That is EXACTLY what I see going on in the world around me. We are learning some new (old, but forgotten) values, re-inventing ourselves and our ways of being together and working, and experiencing a shared experience that will re-write many stories. I love some of the changes I see.
And know that what comes from this time will be extremely valuable in what comes after that. “Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God’s world by mistake.” This is always my mantra and hope.
Dolphin Hug 