One day it started raining, and it didn't quit for four months.
We been through every kind of rain there is.
Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain.
Rain that flew in sideways.
And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. -Forest Gump
If you feel as though the clouds are turning grey and you can "smell" the rain coming (LOL you know how you can smell the rain in the air?!... maybe that's just a southern thing *shrug*) you are at an advantage because you can prepare for the worse, don't turn a blind eye to the signs because you are in denial or believe you do not have the "energy" to persevere through what is coming. Instead, lower your anchor, wherever and whatever it may be anchor yourself in what will keep you positive, steady, and motivated to get through it all.
Most of us don't see it coming, one moment it is beautiful and sunny and the next moment there are scattered thunder storms and tornado warnings. Panic sets in because we do not understand... everything seemed fine... where is all of this coming from? Confusion flutters our hearts and minds as we seek understanding...
Emotions ranging from Anger to Denial flood our minds that we fail to take time to set our anchor and are often swept away by storm.
When I feel that I am going through a storm, I get so caught up in trying to understand what has happened, and I am so overwhelmed by my emotions that i neglect what works for me and what has worked for me before. It seems like I become determined to "fix" the situation and I forget to protect myself mentally, physically, and emotionally. What I have learned is that I can only endure as much as i am prepared to endure. Sure the situation may get fixed... but what about the collateral damage?
Some people react differently from myself. There are those who go through storms and become stagnate. The allow the rain to soak them to the bone and they give in to the high winds, have you ever met someone who doesn't mind being cold and wet? Who would rather talk about how miserable, confused, and discourage they are, than make an effort to get through and move past their troubles? I do. And it is not they enjoy those moments, I believe those moments give them an excuse... An excuse as to why they don't want to be in a committed relationship... why they can't finish school... why they are in debt... excuse why they can not find a job... and excuse why they can't let go of destructive relationships... excuses for days. They may say: See, this is why_______ (fill in the blank), because nothing seems to work out for me and yadda yadda yadda...
The rains and storms of life are inevitable... how we overcome them makes all the difference.
They say, "Those who live in sunshine may have faith, but those of us who walk in the shadows (and storms) MUST have faith."
Think about those life moments when you felt the rain drowning you and the winds pushing you... Can you believe you got through it?!? Shouldn't that be proof enough that you will get through the next storm to come?
Who and/or what was your anchor?
And what about the aftermath... are you not stronger?