Inspiration

“Accept what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.”

This is easier said than done! For those who know it, this is similar to the Serenity Prayer. We have no choice but to accept what is because we can not change it no matter how much we want to. We need to let go of what was, but not by letting go of our memories of it, only by letting go of the wanting it back, the pining away for it, the focusing on it to the sacrifice of everything else. Once we let go, we can accept what is and we can have faith in what will come. And, what will come will come either way, but it will be better if our minds and hearts are open to it instead of stuck pining away for the past we can’t go back to.

“It is never too late to change direction.”

Unfortunately, grief often causes us to change direction, especially if the grief is due to the loss of a spouse, support person, job or lifestyle. Sometimes we have to change, whether we like it or not… we have to roll with it… We have to keep hopping.

“Everyone you meet has something valuable to teach you.”

This is so true! People may come into our lives for a season or a lifetime, but they always come into our lives for a reason. Even those who did not give me what I wanted always gave me what I needed, whether I realized it at the time or not. Sometimes what we see as a ‘let down’ is instead a push forward, a push towards a necessary change or growth. We should focus less on what someone did to us or didn’t do for us and more on how much we grew as a result of our experience with them. Some relationships are only meant to be temporary, but the lessons learned are meant to be permanent. Instead of focusing on how someone hurt us, we should focus on how they helped us. It is hard to do but worth it in the end. Think positive attitude, gratitude, glass half full. Focus on what did I get from this relationship besides the hurt or disappointment.

“While you are waiting for the storm to pass, learn to dance in the rain.”

A little dancing cheers almost everyone up. Storms come and storms pass. If we find a way to dance on through, to look at the glass half full instead of half empty, to find the gratitude, to focus on the dance instead of the storm, we can smile through it.

“Strive for progress rather than perfection and celebrate every tiny victory.”

It is less overwhelming to focus on small steps forward than the endpoint of a journey. If we make ‘progress’ the goal instead of making the finish line the goal, the finish line becomes so much more reachable. No step is too small. No progress is too little. Celebrate every tiny victory along the way and you will find the steps becoming larger and easier, and the goal more and more attainable. This is especially true in grief. Do what you can, leave what you can’t do now for later. Celebrate the victories of the little things you did do. Every step, every hop, is a victory, no matter how small it might seem. Keep going! Keep hopping!

One of the hardest parts of dealing with loss is letting go of the past so you can see the gifts in the present.