In my life, I’ve faced obstacles, setbacks, dashed dreams, mockery, manipulation, emotional abuse and being the odd one out. I’ve allowed myself to be a victim, or should i say the ‘star’ of my own pity party.
Rising above your circumstances is difficult. And sometimes its waaay more comfortable to stay in your misery and complain. Because if you remain stagnant, you’ll always have something to grump about. And you’ll have all of the “shoulda’, coulda’, woulda’s” to keep you company. But, you could also choose to take action to change your life for the better. Is it easy or fun? Nope. But it’s worth it.
Maybe something really bad happened in your life and you have a right to be pissed off, or devastated, or sad. Yes, take the time to grieve. Allow yourself to go through the process, but, don’t set up camp there. You alone have the power to decide to rise above your situation. (Yes, there are sometimes special circumstances where people may need medical help to overcome. That’s very real, but, that’s not what this post is about.) For those of us who do not need medical help, you can choose to rise above. Yes, you can make all of the excuses you want, but at the end of the day, whose choice was it to not go for it? Whose choice was it to allow that ‘bad thing’ to suck all of the joy out of YOUR life?
I’m not trying to come down on you. I have to have this pep talk with myself on a regular basis. And sometimes I ask others (trusted friends/family) to help me keep proper perspective.
The truth is that yes, bad things have happened in my life, but, I’m still strong. I’m an overcomer. I’m a conqueror. I continue to rise. And so can you, if you’ll allow yourself to. Like the great poet Maya Angelou says in her poem Still I Rise, “you may trod me in the very dirt, But still, like dust, I’ll rise….You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.” (Read the whole poem here).
Rise up my brother! Rise up, my sister! You’re made for greatness!
I Am Kay Dee 