There's this temptation that I face every day. It's powerful and strong and sings the sweetest tune. My life’s purpose and business often make it more difficult not to give in. At every turn I’m tempted to cave and it becomes difficult to see truth.
Stop trying to Avoid the Pain
I remember the day my first dog died. Her name was ‘Lady’, of course. She had wandered onto our property when I was about one year old and despite our efforts to find her owner, no one ever claimed her. I can’t recall my childhood without including her because she was with me for the first 14 years of my life. On that day when we finally put her to sleep, I remember shutting down in an effort to avoid the pain.
The Courage to be Present
Turning to People you Trust
I’m about to tell you something that you already know and may already practice. It is going to be the simplest advice I’ve ever given. But I’m going to share it anyways. You can never over estimate the power of reaching out to a friend. Reach out now to someone you trust. No matter where you are in life today or what you are up against, reaching out to a friend will add incredible value to your life. Not just anyone mind you. Someone you trust. Someone that you’re pretty certain will embrace you regardless of the situation you’re in. Reach out to that friend that you know isn’t full of trite quotes and pithy clichés. The one that usually makes your day feel lighter after you’ve talked to them.
You might say, Brad, I don’t really reach out to friends. I don’t really need them that much and I don’t feel comfortable sharing or being vulnerable. If that’s the case then it really must suck to be you. How’s that working for you by the way?
You might say, Brad, I don’t connect with people as easily as you do. Well, that might be true. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t benefit greatly in the next 5 minutes by reaching out to a friend on the phone, sharing a bit of your heart, and feeling a bit more connected to humanity. I’ve said it before. If you can feel a bit more connected to humanity, you can feel a bit more connected to the Divine. Or whatever it is that you particularly put your trust in for resource and Love
It’s not a secret that when we are accepted and loved by others we tend to feel more gracious with ourselves, with others, and more alive in general. There is this beautiful thing that happens when we are our authentic selves and we connect with a loved one. I only have crude letters and words, placed together to form sentences in an attempt to describe this beauty. But it’s that overwhelming sense that there is more to life than just our narrow perspective and view. It’s the recognition of how valuable and precious it is to not be alone and to have the ability to share this journey with others.