Walking uphill both ways?

Today as I was coming up with my topic I thought of an old saying that some older people use to say. It went something like, "When I was your age I use to walk to work/school uphill both ways in the snow, backwards and with no shoes on" or something like that. Okay, so I added one or 2 things but it still makes sense and is relevant to my topic for today.

Does it feel like this sometimes in life? Does it sometimes feel like you're walking uphill both ways and that you never seem to be able to reach the top? Does it feel like you're struggling when you have no real reason to feel that way? Often times we feel this way and yet don't even know why. We all of sudden one day just start feeling like the world is on our shoulders and can't explain it or why it is happening.

I did come up with a few reasons why this may happen and I would like to share them with you.

1) Sometimes the reason we feel like this is self-inflicted. Sometimes this feeling comes on us because we are naturally negative and always assume the worst. We sometimes get in these moods where we believe nothing will go right for us. On the other hand, sometimes we end up feeling like this because maybe we've made a poor decision or maybe even multiple poor decisions. Either way we are the one that causes us to feel this way and maybe the ones to blame.

2) Maybe something happened in your life that brought you down. We often go through things in life that could cause us to feel like the world is on us and maybe it was something that is uncontrollable like some health issues or maybe even a death. There may have been some abuse in a relationship that's caused the uphill struggles that you can't seem to get over. Sometimes this category is the hardest to fight through.

3) Maybe there was a decision at work that was made that wasn't in your favor. I know it's easy to say to not let work get to you but sometimes this can be a hard task especially if you spend most of your time there. It is especially true if you actually care about what you do and who you work for. If there are decisions made that are outside your control it's true that we shouldn't worry about it but sometimes that's easier said than done especially if it affects you financially. 

4) Maybe there have been some changes at work or maybe some restructuring. Maybe the declining culture where you work has brought you down to the point where you see no way out. There may have been some new rules or guidelines that you see as impossible and that has caused you to become a little down in the dumps where it seems impossible to come out of. 

5)Maybe the people you're around on a daily basis don't seem to care and you think there is no reason for you to care either since they don't. This one is easy to let get to you since it's the one that seems one of the most common. Though I don't expect everyone to care I do expect some to. When this is a common thought process I can assure you that it will rub off on you.

Can you relate to any of these? I'm willing to bet you can relate to at least one if not multiples!

Why am I going over this? Well, in an effort to be transparent and show you that even some of the most known or maybe even most successful people go through times when they are struggling and I wanted to share that right now is one of these times for me. I can't explain why really but it has been going on for a little bit now. I haven't been having any issues at home.... which is the most important thing to me. I have had some issues at work that may have contributed to this feeling but nothing that should drive me to unhappiness. I know we all go through things but not everyone shares what they go through in order to help someone else which is what I am trying to do.

Now the question might come up as to what am I doing about it? What am I doing to try and get out of this funk that I am in? Well, there are 4 things that I think help me and may help someone else in this predicament. Not that these are going to work for everyone or that everyone cares but these are the ones that I rely on.

1) Keeping my faith in the One that gives me all things and also prayer. Neither one of these are easy and neither one am I perfect at. I try and stay strong but it's often times easier said than done. The hardest thing to remember is that He is in control and knows more than I do. He knows what He's doing and I don't and I have to try to understand that, though it is a very difficult and daunting task.

2) I try to remember that there have been struggles before and that I have come out of them okay. Though every situation is different I try to remember that there may be a light at the end of the tunnel even though the tunnel looks extra long sometimes.

3) I try and continue to do things that keeps my mind engaged and clear. The mind is probably the most powerful and yet the most dangerous thing we possess. The mind, if allowed to, can determine so many things that you do or don't do in life. It has that kind of power! So I try and continue being positive, jovial and outgoing even though I don't want to sometimes. I try to still shoot my videos and make my posts even though sometimes I'm not posting exactly what I want or how I actually feel. 

4) I try to make sure I have people that I trust in my corner. It helps to have friends that will tell you the truth and not necessarily what you want to hear. It helps to have people surrounding you that can and will listen and actually give you good advice and it also helps if they have been through something similar as you in which they can relate.

I don't tell you these things because I want some kind of sympathy or anything like that. I don't even claim that I have a handle on life because clearly I don't. I'm not even saying that I'm able to overcome every obstacle that comes in front of me because I can’t and don’t. I am not even offering you the way out of every situation because what may work for me may not work for you at all. I am simply wanting you to see that many people struggle with things that may not bother someone else at all. I just want to show you that it's okay to be transparent and to show people that you are indeed vulnerable. I want you to see that sometimes showing your weaknesses may be of great benefit to someone that you may not even know and yet can help them during a tough time in their life. I surely don't have all the answers, no one does, but I'm hoping that my struggles up this steep never ending hill may help someone else top theirs!

Do you seem to be drowning?

When I was a young kid of about 6 or so I was playing in a lake with my cousins. We were floating a board back and forth across the water when the board ended up floating past me near a part of the lake that was near some over hanging trees. I went to go get it and stepped off into a hole or something and went under. The problem was, at the time, I couldn’t swim and started bobbing up and down in the water. I was doing all I could do to reach up and grab the branches of the shrubs and trees that were there but, from the best of my memory, I could grab the ends but they were so flimsy that I couldn’t get a good enough grip to pull myself out. All of a sudden a guy came swimming towards me and pulled me out and to the shore of the lake. I don’t remember much else about that particular day other than it took me a while to be comfortable going back near the water. It freaked me out so much, I guess, that it took me until I was around 10 or 12 before I actually learned how to swim.

Why am I telling you this story?.. You might ask. 

Have you ever jumped into the deep end of something and ended up feeling like you were drowning?

Often times, in life, we tend to be in such a hurry to do something that we want to do that we just jump off into the deep end when we don’t know how to swim. When you do that you end up drowning. When you drown and stuggle then you end up developing a fear. When you develop a fear then usually you never want to get out of your comfort zone again and try something different. 

Let me be clear, I have no problem with you wanting to try new things and take risks because the most successful people take risks. What I am talking about is jumping off into the deep end without being prepared and ready. Often times we make moves when we haven’t prepared enough or at all. Sometimes when you prematurely jump off into something then you end up struggling worse than you might’ve if you would have prepared first.

What am I suggesting? I am suggesting that it’s okay to start off in the shallow end first! It’s okay to wade in the shallow waters first until you get use to being wet. It’s okay to try and practice swimming before you decide to jump off into the deep end. It’s okay to stay in the shallow end a little longer until you have perfected your technique. 

Certainly it may take you a little longer to learn than someone else. And sure, you may see someone else doing what you want to do and you want to rush your training and practice but if you don’t feel ready don’t go into the deep end yet. Yes, you might be able to make it for a while but you might make it for the long term if you just stayed in the shallow end just a little bit longer. There’s no rush, especially if you haven’t developed the skill you feel you need. 

If you jumped off into something too soon or if you fell off into the deep end when you didn’t know how to swim don’t let that fear that you develop dictate the rest of your life! Much like me almost drowning gave me a fear of water for a while, failing at something that you may not have been ready for can give you the fear of not trying it again or doing something new. If you indeed have a fear because you failed at something just try and understand that at least you tried. Remember, you will never know what you can or can’t do unless you give it a try. 

The moral of this post is don’t let fear be the reason to not do something... you may just need a little more training and practice before you jump off into the deep end!