Ripples #852: Welcoming The Storm.
Sep 21, 2015
PEBBLE
We are like the little branch that quivers during a storm,
doubting our strength and forgetting we are the tree—
deeply rooted to withstand all life’s upheavals.
-Dodinsky, shared by Pete in Salida, CO
BOULDER
Every storm we face is an opportunity to be better and braver on the other side. There is something about the worn face of someone who has been through many a storm. With every line, crease, and scar there is also a confidence, peacefulness, and wisdom. Whatever the trial is, freedom is around the bend. So set sail. Welcome the storm. Be not afraid.
-Scott Pace, SecondChance.org, shared by Trisha in Wales, WI
PONDER
If you’ve been struggling lately, it might be tempting to think (or scream at the top of your lungs): “Why can’t life just be easier?”
It is a common question because for too many people, challenges pile up on top of each other, and oh my gosh why, why, WHY? If life was actually and truly and completely fair, then it seems reasonable to conclude that all the good things we’ve done and all the tough things we’ve endured should earn us a lifetime supply of “Get Out Of Difficulty” cards. Right? RIGHT?
Well, here’s the issue with that perfectly reasonable, seemingly logical line of thinking: Life. Isn’t. Fair. There’s a great Dennis Wholey quote, “Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.” I’ve heard another proverb suggest that expecting fairness in the world is like expecting a lion not to eat you because you didn’t eat him. That’s two different animal references to make the same point that life just isn’t as fair as we wish it were. Whether it is bulls or lions…beasts are gonna come at you even though you don’t deserve it.
But here’s the thing, fellow Ripplers of the world: we don’t actually NEED life to be fair or easy. The more storms we’ve weathered in the past, the more impressive it is that we’ve made it to today AND the more skill we have to batten down the hatches when another storm is brewing. I’d go another step and suggest that we don’t even WANT life to be easy, because we all know that if we want to be stronger tomorrow, the weights we lift today need to be heavier than the weights we lifted last week.
Of course we need to take breaks, and of course it is okay to feel exasperated and to scream into the void, “ENOUGH ALREADY I NEED A BREAK!” Rest when you must, my friend, but recognize just how tough you are and just how much you’ve prepared for this storm you’re facing. You’ve got this!
Peace,
Paul
The Ripples Guy
P.S. Is it okay with you that the ponders are getting longer? I think they are getting better, but it’s okay to let me know if you think they’re just getting ramblier.
