A dear friend reminded me that I need to tell you that I don't always have it together. I've learned how to keep moving because I spent time in the ditches. I've learned how to encourage myself because I've spent time feeling spent and without hope. I've learned how to be strong because I've spent time being weak.
When I share my observations, lessons and accomplishments they have all come out of pain, sacrifice and fear. I've felt it all. I've been down every dark road. I simply didn't like it. I didn't like those dark places and always tried to find a way to get out. Sometimes I would succeed for a minute then fall right back into that dark place again. Sometimes I would fall over and over and begin to wonder if I would ever figure it out.
It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to feel sad and to feel pain. It's okay to want to quit and lay down. It's okay to lose hope and wonder where the light is. Being in these dark places doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you. It means you are living life and life is doing what it does. Circumstances don't always go the way we want. In fact, circumstances rarely go the way we want. We find ourselves in dark alleys full of shadows and unknown noises.
It's not okay to stay in the dark place, make your bed and settle in. You will be there, you may be there over and over, but you don't want to live there. The dark place reminds you to be thankful for the light. The dark place reminds you of the tough things you have overcome, but it is not the place to live. It is the place to fight to leave. If you lose the fight and find yourself there again, that's okay. It's time to fight again. Eventually, you will be out of there looking back, thankful you didn't take a nap while there.
I still have dark days. I have dark moments. I have dark weeks and months. It is okay to find yourself in the darkest of alleys feeling alone. It is not okay to decide to stay there and give up hope of being in the light and enjoying the joys of sunshine and joy.
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