It’s ok to not be ok.
So what happens when you feel like you’ve lost it all?
We all experience an array of different feelings and emotions throughout our lives.
Success/Tragedy
Pride/Loss
Joy /Heartache
And, sometimes these feelings and emotions happen simultaneously.
For me:
My – Success/Tragedy story started with a significant pay increase and promotion – best day ever – only to go home and learn my brother was killed that day in a car accident on the way to pick up his son from school.
My – Pride/Loss story was quite a few years ago when my oldest daughter was a successful model travelling the world. We attended a runway show one evening and were very excited and proud. We later learned that my step father had been admitted to hospital and died of pneumonia within a few days.
My – Joy/Heartache story was when my youngest daughter was born, we were overjoyed that day but knew our five year old nephew was very sick with a brain tumour. He passed away 26 hours later. We actually received congratulations and sympathy cards in the mail at the very same time.
Lots of emotions all wrapped up together. Lots to process.
But nothing would prepare me for what I experienced in 2018. We often go through difficulties we just cannot understand.
I now focus on what I have and not what I had. Because there is no sense in looking back when you aren’t going that way.
Every single person is going through or has gone through something big in their life.
We are all on different journeys in our businesses, careers, personal lives and we often put best foot forward with big smile when sometimes inside we are asking ourselves “what do I do?” “how do I do this?” “what are my next steps?” Always lots of questions but amid the day to day challenges and celebrations – where do you put your trust?
I am a strong believer of not following the well worn paths but rather cut out your own path and leave a trail wherever you go.
And what do I mean by leaving a trail?
As I mentioned, we are all on different journeys and they will constantly and consistently change as we grow and learn. As my life has changed multiple times over, one consistent thing I have always tried to do is be aware of others. There is always someone that could use a helping hand, ideas or some direction. No matter how depleted I feel, who knows what others are facing and if I can share some light and make a difference well…..I feel it’s very important.
Even if my light is just a small flicker at the time. I try to dig deep, take a big breath and do what I can. It’s not always a financial ask. I find in most cases, it’s sharing knowledge or wisdom gained from past experiences. I guarantee it comes back ten-fold. Before you know it, that small flicker becomes enough to light up a whole stadium.
We cannot sit idle and not be concerned with what happens to another. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Whatever affects one directly – affects all indirectly. Likewise, the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted our connectedness as around the world cities and countries closed to stop the spread of the virus. What affected one city could soon affect another.
Learn in Chapter 10 how I had a jump start on the effects of that lockdown.
To see past challenges can be very difficult at times. If I can’t overcome, I tend to blast thru or look for ways around them. There is always more than one way to get to where you are going. Sometimes I would get all caught up in the complexities when the answers were really quite simple.
I have all the books and have attended numerous seminars. At one point I honestly believe I qualified as a self-help junkie. But it really wasn’t necessary. I now know – it’s important to have humility regarding the future. No one knows what is coming. Some of us delude ourselves into thinking we know more than we do, or worse, that we possess some special insight about another person’s life or future. Who can tell someone else what will happen after them?
No one.
I still struggle with challenges every single day. Things that most people take for granted is difficult for me. What has changed though is my point of view.
I hope that you will find inspiration from my story and from all the wonderful ladies and the gentleman that participated in bringing these stories to you today.
It truly is a collaboration of good people ……..leaving a trail.