As the deadline drew near for my next Monday Manday blog I was having a hard time finding inspiration. I typically like to write about interesting or funny things that happen to me at work or if I read an article or blog that spawns a new perspective or idea. But I was having a hard time coming up with anything. I couldn’t seem to find that topic that would provide the purpose for another of my man rants. So after much consternation and self introspection, like magic, the topic suddenly came to me. Change. Simple as that. The most pertinent and prevalent topic in my life these days.
Some say change comes in threes. Others fear change. Some just plain avoid it all together. Me, well, I’ve been forced to embrace it. And you know what, I think I’m cool with it. The past month or so has been the most tumultuous month of my life by far. I am only 29 yrs old, but feel like I’m 29 going on 50. So much change is happening all around me, that it’s so comical I can’t do anything but laugh about it.
I know I bet your thinking what could have happened that made me come to this conclusion. Let me first take a deep sigh, now here goes…
In the last month, a personal relationship of 6 years ended; I moved out of my apartment; gone through significant changes at work including switching jobs; dealt with a very close family member being deathly ill and another’s health steadily declining; been there to support my family through incredibly tough times; all while trying to be there for one of my best friends who had twin babies two months premature.
Suffice to say, all of these events have caused some pretty significant change in my life. Funny thing happened to me along the way. Rather than fight it and let it get the best of me, I decided to embrace it. I know, crazy, huh? I made the conscience decision with all of these crazy things happening to me all at once to stop fighting it and just roll with it. I know it sounds crazy. My friends and family can’t imagine how one person can deal with so much change all at once and just laugh it off. But really, what choice do I have.
I constantly remind myself of the famous words of Tupac Shakur “For every dark night, there is always a brighter day, so stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it.” Simple words, but so poignant to me.
Really, I take it one day at a time and try my very best to stay positive. A lot of people would be asking the question “why me?” I tend to look at it another way. “Why not me?” I’ve led a great life to this point and am so appreciative of all the wonderful people and things I’ve got to experience, it doesn’t seem fair. One of the reasons I can find strength to endure these times is the sheer appreciation I have for all great things that I am so fortunate to have. Because when you really put things in perspective, someone always has it worse than you. For me, I think about our soldiers over in Iraq, a single mom with 3 kids and two jobs, a 3rd world country without electricity or running water or the countless people facing genocide across
Africa. Keeping these things in mind really helps keep my perspective real and gives me the boost I need to stay positive.
As I’ve mentioned many times before in my blogs I try to keep things as simples as possible. Maybe not the best coping mechanism, but it works for me. I treat life like a roller coaster:
“When you’re up, you’re always going to fall down and when you’re down you’re always going to rise back up so just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!”
Amazing as it may sound, through all this adversity I feel like a better man today than I was yesterday. And really, that’s all I hope for out of life!
