One of my favorite television programs is “Biography.” As I watched a recent program, I noticed that there seemed to be a common theme running through these uncommon lives. After reaching a pinnacle of success, they encountered the down slope in their lives and careers.
As I recalled the numerous biographical or autobiographical books that I have read, I realized that the reason that the books were so impactful was that each person featured in these books found some way to bring themselves out a slump.
Reflecting further upon the “slump” idea, I realized that probably everyone, infamous or not, will have periods in their lives when it seems that they have hit a certain impenetrable wall. It is at this wall that we make certain choices, whether to find a way around the wall or to remain at the wall, wallowing in self-pity. It is here that we may turn to pain numbing activities and cures such as overeating, drugs, alcohol, divorce, resignation and other destructive behaviors.
The wall can be a lonely, frightening place because there is no concrete roadmap that gives us a direction to follow. It may also seem that this is the end of the road and that the taste of success and happiness shall be but a memory. However, it is also here where many people become enlightened and renewed.
At this wall, we have the opportunity to see that the road to happiness and success will require a change in us. It is here that we have the opportunity to review and renew our lives. It is in this time of boredom and frustration that we can break away from the binding ties of the past and reinvent ourselves. We can take what we have, who we are, and what we have learned and shape a new image of ourselves.
The most difficult obstacle to overcome is often the sense of hopelessness and impatience. We don’t know who we are, where we want to go, and what we want to do as an expression of our lives. It is at this time that we must sit down, and ask our self some very tough questions. It is here that we must overcome the obstacle of inertia, where we lack the mental and emotional energy to create a new map, to reinvent ourselves, using those difficult life experiences and throwing off the shackles of self-pity.
The road around the wall begins with seeing an image of our new self-expression. Holding this image in our mind’s eye provides us with direction, hope and excitement.
Affirmation for the Week:
“I am an exciting and excited person with wonderful new insights and goals. My enthusiasm for life has been renewed. I am a new person.”
Have a wonderfully imagined week!