Beginning Again

A good story typically has a clear beginning, middle, and end. With that in mind, this blog is meant to bookend the theme of change I’ve written about the last two months - this time coming to you from the Buckeye State! From Texas to Ohio, this has been quite an adventure in what so many of us struggle to find a bridge between: emotion and logic. The two are especially dissonant when we find ourselves wrapped up in the sticky arms of uncertainty, stress, and discomfort. Despite what we know intellectually, a molehill can quickly become a mountain when feelings like frustration, grief, and exhaustion collide. So, what do we do when our threshold for change is maxed out and seemingly no amount of logic can alleviate the emotional undertow that stifles forward momentum? The easy answers fall under the category of things like: drink, sleep, eat, rage, avoid, and quit. Logically, we know those don’t actually resolve anything long-term. Emotionally, though, they can be deliciously – if not dangerously - enticing. The problem, of course, is that you can’t go with the grain of change when you’re actively working against it. The alternative, in the words of Dory from Finding Nemo, is to “just keep swimming”. The notion of perseverance may elicit a prolonged heavy sigh, but it represents the kind of character making material that healthy humans strive to achieve. For example, I wanted to throw something hard and heavy when the movers showed me remnants of what used to be a fully functioning bookshelf and the broken leg of a favorite dresser. Thankfully, with the help of a few deep breaths and a gentle reminder from my support system that everything can be fixed, I managed my way through without falling to pieces while making overly dramatic statements about the inefficiencies of the moving industry and the difficulties of my move, in general. The truth is, everything went basically well…and there were some furniture casualties. Whether I’m in Texas or Ohio, life is going to continue to happen with all of its perfect imperfections. I was never going to be able to leave that reality behind nor did I want to. The sweetest, greatest, most unexpected joys in my life have come from things not going like I planned. As this next chapter begins, let’s remember this: there is always a way through to the other side of even the most hopeless feeling situation. It may not be the route you mapped out, but the richest treasures are rarely discovered where you’re looking for them.