Sunday, April 16, 2017

In The Face of Discouragment

Go "Face Forward"

Many things in life can cause us to feel discouraged. It may be a small disappointment or a great defeat. Our feelings of discouragement can surface on either end of the spectrum and on many points and places in between. When those challenges meet us face-to-face, we shouldn't chose to run or hide. Our most courageous choice is to move face forward toward handling our emotions and rising to a better place in our thinking, living and doing.

Your discouragement may be an opportunity for discovery. 
If we dare take a close look at our "why" we can discover our "what." I remember someone saying that if we don't ask ourselves the right questions, we won't give ourselves the right answers. Ask "Why am I feeling this way?" When you know your answer, ask "What is my remedy?" Is it a loss you've faced? Is it a break-up? Is it grief? Is it financial? Are you unhappy about your relationship? Are you lonely or alone? The "what to do" begins with the self-discovery that there is a pathway through it, and not just sometimes, always. Answer your "why" with self-introspection and self-investigation. Be honest, vulnerable and transparent with yourself. Get to the root of it. When you find out your truth, you can begin to address your what effectively.

Be persistent with yourself, but loving and patient at the same time. However, remember that you won't move face-forward with your head down. You won't move face-forward with your head buried in a pillow. You won't move face-forward with your eyes closed hoping it will all go away. You must move face-forward a breath at a time, a moment at a time, a day at a time, looking with eyes wide open toward the place in time when it's all behind you. You're going to get to your place of self-discovery if you keep looking.

The Thing that's breaking you may be a bridge to your breakthrough.
Bridges are built to create a "way" to get to a place that has no easy access, from one point to another that's usually separated by a kind of chasm, or gap. It may be a body of water, mountains or hills that create the "gap" that needs to be bridged. Your discouragement is somewhat like that gap; between how you presently feel to the place on the other side of it where you feel stronger, more courageous and over it. It's a gap, a valley, a chasm, that requires that a bridge is built to get from where you are "breaking" to your breakthrough. You build it by allowing yourself to become the constructor of your thoughts and actions. Your thoughts must become a kind of piece by piece part of the structure; you see that on the other side of the gap is the rest of the way forward. Each thought is a "part" of your structure, and they are specifically named faith, hope, strength, wisdom and courage. Those "parts" can build a sturdy, unwavering bridge to the other side of things for you, to your breakthrough.

Just because there is no view doesn't mean there is no window.
For all of us, it's easier to go somewhere if we can see where we're going, right? But not so much when absolutely nothing is in view. However, you learn that just because there currently isn't a view, that doesn't mean that there is no window. When we are discouraged, things can feel and look foggy or dark. It becomes difficult to see past our emotions. Those emotions are good at clouding our perspectives, and for sure they can cloud our direction. But, that is exactly all that they are: clouds that are blocking our view of better days ahead.

Always keep in mind that clouds clear up. The sky eventually opens up with brilliant hues of blue and bright sunshine. In the same way, our emotional clouds will clear up and the "windows" in our minds appear, and we begin to see clearly once again. We can see where we are. We can see what's ahead. We can see the possibilities. We can see where we're going. Oftentimes, we can even see into the future, our futures. It's only a matter of time and effort. When you tell yourself it's time to move forward and when you make the effort to go face-forward, I can assure you that you're going to have a beautiful view of the extraordinary things that life has in store for you going forward. ~ S.R.F.