Keep Marching

My Dad has a saying (well he actually has many that I use!) …”pick yourself up by your boot straps and keep on marching”! This is usually preceded by his “nobody said it was gonna be easy kid”!  He is a very wise man and somehow when life has thrown me a curve ball, these little sayings of his always run through my mind. I kind of use them as my mantra during the tough times.

Have you heard of the saying that the only things certain in life are death and taxes?  Well, I believe there are a few other certain things in life…one of them is troubles. You can call them whatever you like… problems, hurdles, obstacles, hardships, curve balls, issues, annoyances, lessons, etc.  Whatever name you give them, we all have them at some point in or lives and sometimes more often than we like. How each of us deals with them is an individual process and the length of the lingering “troubles” is different with each circumstance.

I need to revert back to my blog on the “Phoenix Process” (11/13/11) for a moment.  Remember that this process allows us to embrace the ability to grow through difficult times knowing that we will rise from the ashes stronger, wiser and better prepared for all that is to come.

The “issue” I have is when people get STUCK.  Emotionally STUCK! Wallowing in their misery! You know what I mean. Some of you are probably picturing that person in your mind right now or perhaps it is you!  An example would be a time when someone has hurt you so deeply with their words or actions and you just can’t “get over it”. It is perfectly normal to have a period of time where you feel the pain, get angry, process, grieve and have a pity party for yourself. Perhaps you soothe yourself with a quart of Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream or go and hit the punching bag for a while, but you need to get through it and “pick yourself up by your boot straps and keep marching”! Lingering on hurt feelings long after the act was committed is self-destructive. Chances are the person that hurt you hasn’t even given the situation another thought. If you wallow too long, the perpetrator has won. They have won the battle of controlling your feelings, heart & mind. I say, NO WAY! Learn the lesson in it and keep moving, one step at a time. You are better for going through any experience, even hurtful ones.  

Also, I know how annoying it is when someone says to you, “you just need to get over it”.  ARGH!  Yea right, if I KNEW how to get over it I wouldn’t be feeling so bad!! Instead, when someone says that to you, replace those words to yourself by saying, “I am working my way through it”! This way you are giving yourself back the power & control with this internal dialogue. Life stops for no one! So why waste time wallowing when you could be growing?

A big part of working through “it” is forgiveness, but my friends, that is an entirely different blog for another day!!

I will end hear with another of my Dad’s famous quotes and a great saying to add to your mantra …“This too shall pass” and one of my Mom’s favorite Irish blessings, “May your days be many and your troubles be few”.

Just Sayin’,

Christina