Have you ever taken a look back at your life and wondered, “How did I get here?” I don’t care how old you are. I think we’ve all hit that moment at least once in our lives and, if we’re being honest, if we’re older than 5, we’ve probably hit that moment on multiple occasions. Take a moment and think specifically about those times in your life. You might even be in one of those times right now.
I’ve been in that moment multiple times. A couple of years ago, I quit teaching elementary music to go into full-time ministry. I thought – since I was called to it – that everything would just fall in to place. And then I was jobless for a year. I couldn’t even get Walmart to hire me. I can honestly say, I was depressed for a large portion of that time and I definitely asked many times, “How did I get here?”
Now, years later, I can take a look back at that point in my life and see that there was a purpose to all of it. That season of my life allowed me and my mom to fix our relationship and become friends once more. It also taught me a lot about myself and helped me to be a better person.
I will say, I wasn’t able to get out of the dark place on my own. I can look back and see the positives now, but there was nothing about my jobless life that I could use to pull myself out. So I started counseling. I had been in counseling before, but had never had much success. This time, I went to a Christian counselor who actually forced me to talk about my feelings and the negative things in my life. He didn’t let me hide behind a false smile.
See, we’re not supposed to go through life alone. People are made for community. We’re also not made to be fake, but rather to be our best and real selves.
The first step you need to take is admitting that you’re struggling. The second step is sharing that with someone else. You can feel safe to message me through email or Facebook. And once you’ve admitted it to yourself and one more person, you’re a step closer to working through your life where it is right now.
So why do I call this post, “Life Reimagined”? Because when you take a step back and change your perspective, you will start to see that things might not be as bad as you think.
Disclaimer: if you are in an abusive situation – mentally, physically, sexually, emotionally, or any other way – things are different for you. If there is anyone in your life who is telling you not to tell anyone else what is being done to you, then it’s not okay. Abusers will make you feel like everything is your fault. Abusers will make you feel ashamed for how you feel or for the actions/words used against you. Reach out to someone, anyone. I’ll share more about my own stories someday, but for now, know that you’re not alone, you are loved, you are important, and YOU MATTER.
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