“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Sometimes what seems to be the best situation might in fact be a less auspicious one. It pays off to learn to read, trust and follow that gut instinct. It may feel good but if deep down it ain’t feeling right, rethink your strategy. Simply said, stop, turn around and take another path. Steep learning curve, but all worth it.
Sometimes life throws a ball, and a hard one at that. Kicking, screaming and pouting are my immediate reactions but very often there is a thought at the back of my mind urging me to breathe and wait. There is always a silver lining, I am reminded by my faithful brain. And that means hope. Hope means planning and planning means action. So there. Some roads are winding ones, and shortcuts may be tempting but not always the best alternative. You may end up where you don’t want to be so think twice before you choose.
Sometimes I want people to think in sync, to give me all the support I need when I need it. And they don’t. They might be busy with their own lives, they might not see the importance of my goals at that particular moment or they simply don’t care enough then or any other time. Cry, scream and shout? It won’t get me anywhere – and yet I still do that occasionally. What will, you ask? My own belief in what I am doing. Until proven wrong, until my tower of hopes and thoughts collapses – not because I don’t believe in it anymore but because my goal is not a doable one – until then, I owe it to myself to keep going. To believe. Now that’s a big word. Opening up to a beautiful world. Dare to believe.
Sometimes I despair. I do. And it hurts. I feel like giving up. A two-headed monster, really. Giving up may present itself like the easiest solution but may in fact become the shakiest ground I’ll ever walk on. That’s when I try to remember that there are two sides to everything and giving up is but one of them. There is a good one there too. Good times are just around the corner.