Inside Out

“There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from.”

-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Greetings folks! Sometimes life sucks. Not all the time. Just sometimes. Sometimes, the things that happen to us during the course of a 24 hour period cannot be explained with words that are more than 4 letters. Sometimes, life can be so unbearable, so unrelenting, and so confusing that there are no words in your vocabulary to adequately articulate your thoughts. Welcome to Life!

In this journey through life it’s not a question of if you’ll encounter setbacks and roadblocks, but rather when will they come and how many will there be. Any person who tells you that they’ve never had a bad day is a liar and the truth isn’t in ‘em. Even Jesus had bad days (see Jesus flipping tables and the day He got nailed to a tree). Yet, even He managed to stay positive.

In my post last week, ("The One” 10/10/12) I talked about the inevitability of unfortunate events in our lives and the need to stay positive in the midst of madness. With this acceptance comes the mindset not to allow what happens to us to get inside us. Once we understand that we can’t control the weather, the traffic, or the stupid things people sometimes say, we’re able to deal. Until we’re able to accept the certainty of adversity, we’ll never be equipped or ready to live life to the fullest.

My high school football coach, Coach Walt Frazier, always used to say, “Opportunity favors the prepared.” You can be given the opportunity to start, score a touchdown or lead your team to victory, but if you aren’t prepared then that opportunity is wasted. In sports, you prepare by training, studying and practicing so that when the game comes it’s just another rep. In life, you prepare much the same way except you probably don’t need an angry man/woman yelling so close to your ear that you’re sure you may suffer some hearing loss.

Inexorably, during our lives, we will experience death, illness, heartache and pain. Undoubtedly, we will experience these emotions many times over before it’s all said and done. But, we can’t allow the negativity that accompanies these unfortunate events to permeate our core. We can’t allow what happens to us to get inside us.

Take, for example, the person who has experienced heartache a time or ten. This person has two choices: 1. Cry a river, build a bridge and get over or it; or 2. Swear off dating and become a “Love Hater.” The former understands that while it’s unfortunate that they had their heart broken, one door closing leaves room for another door to be open where they may find love and happiness with someone else. However, the latter may never find love again because they walk around blind-folded, believing that walking in the dark, unaware of their surroundings, is better than walking with full sight if it means they avoid the risk of feeling the pain and agony of heart break again. What the “Love Hater” fails to realize is that Alfred Lord Tennyson may have been on to something when he said, “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

There are plusses and minuses for every situation. Take for instance, the person who has had a bird defecate on their head. For them, locking themselves in the house and never going out is a good way to avoid ever being pooped on again. However, while it solves one problem it brings about the problem of never being able to feel the sun’s warmth on your skin again, never being able to have a snowball fight and the eventuality of growing an unkempt beard and being labeled a weirdo.

I’m a firm believer in Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ statement that “There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from.” The adversity we have encountered has given us character. The setbacks we have survived have made us experienced. And the hangovers we have suffered have taught us our limits. So, next time you get down, remember that everything happens for a reason. Don’t let what happens to you get inside you. Instead, let what’s inside you dictate your outcome and live life “Inside Out.” Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!