Photo Credit: Marc Wathieu via Compfight cc
Yesterday I came across several inspirational quotes that normally would stir my insides, causing me to ache to become something greater than I am. (I’m a sucker for a good quote). Stuff like…
You must be willing to love so much to get your heart broken, be the underdog in a fight to get a fat lip, and in life, willing to go over the edge. The ones that play it safe in life or in business will rarely see the other side.—Charles Smith
But this time, I read these words while actually BEING in a difficult time in my life. And while I’m sitting in this highly crappy stuff, I have no desire whatsoever to go over the edge, or take another fat lip, or get my heart broken, or suck the marrow out of life. Right now, while I’m hurting, I just want the pain to be gone. Right now, I just want to get back to something I can call normal. Right now, I’m scared, and insecure, and frustrated, and angry, and confused.
When things are easier, I truly want to live my life like it’s an inspirational saying. When I’m not in pain, it’s easy to talk about doing the hard stuff. But in the midst of it, my frail humanity leaks out, and all I want is to be more comfortable and to feel more secure.
And there’s the rub. In a way, I’ve gotten my wish. I’m LIVING the stupid inspirational quote. It’s not just a theoretical concept at this moment in time. It is grotesquely real. And while I hate it, in a very small way, I’m glad that I’m in it. I have to trust that after I’ve made it through all this difficult stuff I will be able to see my experiences within the safety of hindsight. Only then will I be able to connect the dots and fully appreciate the pain that I’ve had to endure.
I’m still going to be a quote hound. But, when I encounter individuals who are hurting like I am, I am going to be mindful that they probably don’t need some pithy concept thrown at them. Instead, I’ll simply try to listen to their pain and offer my own frail, imperfect humanity as comfort so they know that they do not have to walk through their stuff alone.