Let me re-share a quick life-changing story with you, and give you something new to consider...
“Today, on my 47th birthday, I re-read the suicide note I wrote on my 27th birthday about two minutes before my girlfriend, Carol, showed up at my apartment and told me, ‘I’m pregnant.’ Her words were honestly the only reason I didn’t follow through with it. Suddenly I felt I had something to live for, and I started making positive changes. It’s been a journey, but Carol is now my wife and we’ve been happily married for 19 years. And my daughter, who is now a 21-year-old university student pursuing a degree in medicine, has two younger brothers. I re-read my suicide note every year on the morning of my birthday as a reminder to be graceful—I am grateful I got a second chance at life.”
This was a story narrated to me by my personal project supervisor named Kevin. Kevin's words continue to remind me that sometimes you have to die a little on the inside first in order to be reborn and rise again as a stronger, happier version of yourself.
Circumstances and people will occasionally break you down to the lowest of lows. But if you keep your mind focused on the positive, your heart open to love, and continue to put one foot in front of the other, you can recover the pieces, rebuild, and come back much stronger and happier than you ever would have been otherwise.
Marc and I have dealt with our fair share of adversity too—losing siblings and best friends to death, financial and business turmoil, etc.—and we’ve written a lot about it over the years. But today, let me remind you of the clearest sign that you will be OK, even if you don’t feel OK right now:
Right now everything is changing again, nothing is certain, and you are free.
Everything in life is temporary. Nothing lasts. Every moment gives us a new beginning and a new ending. We literally get a second chance every second.
Every time it rains, it stops raining. Everything that goes up comes down. After darkness there is always light—we are reminded of this every morning, but somehow we don’t see it.
SEE IT! Right now, let yourself see the truth.
You are a product of your past, but you don’t have to be a prisoner of it. You become a prisoner when you cling to what no longer exists. So remember that if you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello. It may be hard, but you CAN let go, and to a certain degree you must...
You have to let go and accept the feeling of not knowing exactly where you’re going next, and train yourself to love and appreciate this freedom. Because it is only when you are suspended in the air, with no destination in sight, that you force your wings to open fully so you can fly. And as you soar around you still may not know where you’re traveling to. But that’s not what’s important. What’s important is the opening of your wings. You may not know where you’re headed, but you know that so long as your wings are spread, the winds will carry you forward.
And again, I know that's sometimes much easier said than done.
Making this kind of perspective shift—thinking better—takes guidance and practice.
Have a nice day lovelies.
