When the storms of life hit home, gain a new perspective on how to keep hope alive.
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Welcome to the Be Your Best Self Blog by Marsha Abbott
"The Storm"
Winter storms, slick roads, scary driving conditions…all the things I really don’t like. Living in Iowa my whole life, you’d think I would be used to it by now. And after the last one I had to drive through, I suddenly realized that there are some storms we won’t ever be ready for. Yet this last ride taught me that there is a small silver lining when we are forced to face them head on. When they can’t be avoided, and we have to make our way through the storm…
I spent a few days in St. Louis for some work meetings a couple of months ago. The weather was perfect back home, but there was a storm brewing around the St. Louis area. And from the weather radar, it was pretty clear I was going to run right into it.
So as soon as my meetings were over, I loaded up my car and took off on my journey back home. Right from the beginning, it was rain. And in some spots, it seemed my wipers were having a hard time keeping up. So I adjusted my speed accordingly and slowly proceed with caution as I made my way through the thunderstorm. About two hours in, I made a quick pit stop. It was in that moment that I realized how awful the storm ahead of me was actually going to be. As I filled up with gas and made my way into the gas station for a few supplies, the wind had picked up immensely. The rain was blowing at me sideways, and it was such a powerful wind that I even had a hard time shutting my car door against it. I literally felt like I was being blown around like Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ when the tornado hit Kansas.
But I needed and wanted to get home, so I proceed down the path with hesitation and anxiety. And then the worst hit…the temperature started dropping, and the rain started coming down in a frozen slushy mixture. The roads quickly filled with wet snow, and everyone around me started driving at a snail’s pace. Knowing I still had over two and a half hours left, it was apparent that my original plans for getting home in time for dinner were probably not going to happen.
I dreaded the blizzard that was all around me now. I hated the uncertainty that lay ahead. And I most definitely wished I could have avoided the stress that I was now feeling. But I couldn’t turn back. It wasn’t in the cards for me. The only way forward was through the storm. I had to face it head on, and I hated it. I hated being caught in the middle of it…
But then, suddenly, something unexpected happened. And it was in this moment that my eyes were opened to that silver lining that most of us forget about when we are dealing with the “storms” in our life.
So, let’s talk about these storms: What do they look like in your world? Are you fighting cancer? Are you having marriage or relationship struggles? Is your child going down a dark path, and you are struggling with how to help them? Is your career not mapping out the way you had hoped? Or maybe you even have an addiction that you can’t shake?
When living out these moments, every single day can feel like you are in the midst of a blizzard. We all come across them at some point in time. Yet there is something good that can come from being blown around like Dorothy from Kansas. So today, as we finish up my recent excursion, I am going to remind you about the bestpart that exists in every storm, in every hard battle you are fighting…
Sothere I was, caught in the middle of the snowstorm on my way back home from St. Louis. I was anxious, nervous, scared, and hesitant to proceed. But I had to push forward because I also knew that the radar was showing clearer skies the closer I would get to my family. So, I didn’t have another option. I had to forge ahead…through the storm…
About 30 minutes into the worst of it, I finally started to notice a change. The temperature started rising, and the slushy snow was turning back to rain. The rain then started to lighten. And suddenly, as if I imagined the whole thing, the skies cleared, the roads dried, and the sun was projecting its bright beauty onto the road ahead. It was the best feeling I could have ever felt in that moment. It was a feeling of peace. It was a feeling of happiness. It was a feeling of gratitude as I knew I would in fact make it home in time for dinner.
Many of you are currently “driving through a storm” in your life too because life can be difficult that way. But whatever battle you are fighting, I want you to remember what my recent trip reminded me of. It reminded me of the best part of every storm…and that is the calm that comes after the storm. With this calmness, it also brings a sense of peace and a different kind of appreciation for life. The kind that we all need to be reminded of every now and then.
So, as you fight through the current storm in your life, I want you to remember there will be peace again. There will be happiness again. There will be brighter days ahead. So promise yourself that no matter how bad that wind blows at you, no matter how much you feel like giving up, choose to keep forging ahead anyway…through the storm…no matter how hard it gets. Because with each one of these battles you face, it’s the calm after the storm that is ultimately worth fighting for.
*For those of you struggling with something in life or have a topic of interest that you want me to talk about in this blog, email me at BeYourBestSelfBlog@gmail.com. Let’s work together to Be Our Best Selves!