What’s the lesson in front of me?

Hey, hey…and happy February.

The dark depths of winter are upon us.  The cold has settled in (unless you are in the southern hemisphere…then you are in the throws of summer).  But you know what winter can feel like.  One day after another.  One foot in front of the other.  Just making it through can seem like the mantra of the season.   Most people can relate to feelings of depression or situations that never seem like they will end.  And just when things seem they are going well, something comes up that makes it seem like you’ll never arrive to that place of solid ground.

Embrace the current lesson

I was talking to a trusted friend of mine this past week and he reminded me of something important.  Things in life are never as bad as they seem and they’re never as good as they seem either.   When we are so focused on getting past that season of discontent or that pressing matter that never seems it will resolve, we have to remember something.  There is always a spring time.  There is always a new season in life.  I know that when I am solely focused on getting past my struggles, I might be missing out on something very important.  It’s the lesson that is right here and right now.  Life is happening now.  It doesn’t happen later, it doesn’t just happen when we feel good, and it doesn’t happen when things finally work out.  It’s happening now.  And there is a lesson for us even when things seem their coldest and darkest.

Going with the flow

When we are constantly pressing and stressing we’re missing out on what life is showing us.  My kids are in a stage of development right now where they are really pushing back and asserting their boundaries.  They’re also testing my and my wife’s patience.  And while it might seem like we’ll never sleep again, I know this is an important part of their life.  It’s also good to recognize that there are lessons to be learned as a parent.  It only serves me to go with the flow.  It only helps when I allow what is happening at all levels.  To resist this just makes me…cranky…irritable…frustrated…and disappointed.  And I don’t want to live life this way.

So what about you?  Where are you struggling right now?  What are you missing out on and what lessons are here for you RIGHt NOW that you can capitalize on in the near future when things are a bit brighter…and warmer?

Let me know what you think…and I’ll talk to you next week!

John