Author: The Eternally Hopeful

Emerging from the Storm

“When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person that walked in.  That’s what the storm is all about.”

-Haruki Murakami

          We each have our own storms that we must endure throughout life and as we emerge out of the darkness, we are irrevocably changed.  It is an undeniable fact that the person who walks into a storm will not be the same person who emerges on the other side.  We cannot help but to be shaped by our experiences and by the scrapes, bruises and scars that cover our soul – our very essence.  Now, whether this change is for the better or worse is for you to decide.

          As you’re standing on the shore watching the storm clouds recede, you have a choice to make.  You can choose to let the storm break you and become a shell of your former self.  OR, you can CHOOSE to fight to put the pieces of your life back together and become stronger in preparation of the next storm that lurks behind the horizon.  Okay, I get that this is much easier said than done. . .especially, when you are in the midst of your storm and can see no way out.  But, it doesn’t change the fact that it is still a choice how you deal with the curve balls life throws you.  You can roll over and wallow in your own self-pity or you can decide that your life is worth fighting for – no matter how hard or long that fight lasts.

The. Choice. Is. Yours.

An Invincible Summer

“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”

– Albert Camus

          As you go through hard times in life, you question whether you are strong enough to weather the storm.  You feel broken, beaten and defeated.  Many times you are just so tired that you say, “What’s the point?”  You feel you have nothing left to give and the fight is gone.   But, it is when we are at our lowest that we learn how “invincible” and resilient our spirit truly is.  Often, you don’t realize your inner strength until months or years later when you look back at a really difficult time and say, “Wow, how did I survive that. . .at the time, I never thought I would make it to the next hour, let alone a year.”  But you did.  You survived because inside of you, there is “an invincible summer.”

Introduction – My Daily Inspiration, Thoughts & Random Musings

          So, this is my first blog and I have to admit that I was kind of lost at where to even begin.  To be honest, writing a blog never crossed my mind until a close friend of mine suggested it.  Even then I’m like, “Huh, a blog, really. . .who would actually want to read what I have to say?”  And then the more I thought about it, I eventually said, “Why not?  It sounds like something I can have fun with.”

        And then the next minor issue was —

“Hey, so, I’m going to write a blog.”

“Okay, that’s great. . .now what?”

“What does one blog about?”

“Is there some kind of blog cheat list?”

“No, seriously, is there some kind of Dummies Guide to Creating a Freaking Awesome Blog that is the Mother of all Blogs?  Because, that would be super great.”

        Spoiler alert.  The answer is no, not really.  Everything that I stumbled across basically suggested that you write about what interests you – whether that be cooking or gardening tips.  I know, what a crazy concept, right?  So, for me, I have decided to dedicate this blog to what inspires me on those tough days when nothing seems to be going my way.  In these moments of frustration and emotional turmoil, I rely on positive words, quotes and anecdotes that help to refocus my thoughts on what is important in this life.  For me that is remembering to be grateful for the little things, sharing love, building relationships and truly aspiring to be my best self.  It is about learning to find joy in the journey and discovering what it means to truly live.

        With this in mind, each day I will strive to post a positive quote, along with my own words of encouragement to help start each day off on the right foot.  I now invite each of you to join me on this journey and I hope that you are inspired and uplifted by “My Daily Inspiration, Thoughts and Other Random Musings.”

Sincerely,

The Eternally Hopeful