Storms of Life

For, Tinuke. I hope you find solace. 

There are many storms during our lives that carry conflicting emotions, raw reactions, and a sense of loss. These emotional storms are the result of circumstances that may involve physical, mental and emotional pain.

The emotional storm we are dealt creates struggle and uncertainty about what to do. This struggle may lead to how we handle pressure, emotions, and how we react to external events.

We all face storms of life. Everything we go through can be categorized under the simple categories of "Good", "Bad" and "Ugly". We all have good in our lives — happy times, joyful moments, positive experiences; but we also have bad and ugly. Bad is the bad stuff you don't want to see or experience. Ugly is the bad stuff you don't want to see but experience. We can choose to only see, accept and recognize the good things that happen to us, or we can also choose to see, accept, and recognize both the good and the bad.

People living a life full of stress and pain are like boats that have been tossed about on the waves of life. Storms of life aren’t new. The reality is they have always been there, they will continue to be there as long as humans exist. The only thing that’s new is the greater access to information we have available.

As sure as the sun is going to rise, there are going to be storms of life that shove us off our path. These clouds will obscure our view of the sun, rain on our parade and even blow us off course. The aftermath of a storm is always the same. The tree's remaining leaves droop from the weight of the rain, the grass lies trampled from being overrun by relentless raindrops, and puddles have formed in every little dip and hollow. There are going to be storms of life in all the seasons of our life.

Our summer's are going to have storms like in the life of Joseph. Our fall is going to have storms like in the life of Jesus.

Our winters and our springs are going to have storms like in the life of Esther. And in the life of David and Goliath, every season has it's storms.

There will be storms in your finances.There will be storms in your heath. There will be storms in your family. There will be storms at work and the list goes on an on.

And if you let those storms keep you from experiencing everything that has been created for your life, then you're missing out on His best for you.

Giant storms will come to your life. No one escapes them. Nobody is immune. No one can be prepared for everything, so you must learn to weather the storms that come. Storms of life will arise. They're just a part of living. The challenges will vary, but the one thing that remains constant is the choice you make. Do you choose to thrive in the storm or is it going to overcome you?

The decisions you make today will determine the outcome of your future and ultimately the life you lead. Storms of life are inevitable and to think that you won't have any is a delusion. Life lessons have been taught since the beginning of time. To learn from your past is to guarantee your future doesn't look like your past.

The world has a way of maintaining balance through nature's storms and trials. The universe doesn't play favorites and those who fail to acknowledge this are often the ones who are caught off guard.

Storms of life are inevitable and to think that you won't have any is a delusion. Your relationships, your finances, your health and your morality will all be put to the test at some point. Storms will come and go but it's how you respond that matters. Whether it's in your personal or professional life, having a guide to help you through the storm can make all the difference.

What does a storm feel like?

What does it sound like?

What does it look like?

You can't see the wind but you can certainly hear it.

It whips through the trees, sending leaves and twigs flying.

The storm clouds are dark, often grey or black and they appear to be ominous and threatening.

The sky lights up with lightning. You can actually see electricity crackling in the sky!

When we're in the midst of a storm, we have no idea where we'll end up. We do know that when the storm is over we'll be somewhere different than where we started. Storms of life often leave us battered, bruised and battered.

Down the memory lane.- There were two hurricanes named Irma and Maria. They were the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. Irma was a Category 5 hurricane that hit the Caribbean as a Category 4. Hurricane Maria was a Category 5 hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Dominica as a Category 4 Maria also caused damage to Florida when it made landfall as a tropical storm. So what's the point of this? Storms happen! I'm not saying that you can't prepare for them and do your best to avoid them or mitigate their effects, but there will be storms in life. You can't do anything about it. There is, however, an important lesson that you can learn from this: When building your foundation for life, assume that every storm will be an absolute monster and take every precaution for that eventuality. Storms of life are like a process in a chemical laboratory. They purify as they blow away the dross. What is left behind is true gold, pure and unalloyed.

This is the lesson to be learned from all destructive storms. The lesson of the storm that wrecked the St. Louis was that one should build for eternity, not for time only. It is well to remember this, for it is never too late to mend, and no life is so old that it cannot have a happy ending if its builder sets about his work in earnest. The general lesson of all storms is that no one can live without peace of heart. The storms of life come upon us when we are unprepared. We can only be prepared by keeping our minds fixed on the calm, peaceful life we wish to maintain amidst the storms. If we have such peace within us, we shall be able to preserve it unto the end.

Solace 

The winds of winter came upon us and trees started losing their leaves, the temperature was often below freezing and the rain hardly stopped. Whatever the weather, there is something glorious about falling leaves. The color, the abundance, the sound of the wind chimes. When you're outside in a storm, there is a physical reminder of how powerful nature can be. You are present in that moment in time. The sky might be cloudy or sunny, you may be in a rain jacket or you're soaking wet. But at least for that moment you feel grateful to be alive.

We often feel like we're on the wrong path in life. Facing difficulties, we tend ask ourselves: "Am I doing the right thing?" "Should I change something?" I have learned that every storm has a valuable lesson for us. They teach us to be grateful for everything we have and to appreciate the people around us. In the beginning of the year, I was very nervous about my future. About school, work and results. But there were two things that made me feel good during that time: my family and my friends. 

Let's face it: storms suck.

We are no stranger to storms in life. We've had them, we've overcome them and we continue to thrive. So many of those "storms" teach us a lesson by when they're over, we realize just how much we've grown because of them. I want to share with you what I have learned so far.

Here's a list:

1. Never give up

2. Look back but don't stare

3. Don't be afraid to fail

4. There is always a rainbow after the storm

5. Do not be too proud to ask for help

6. Life is not a dress rehearsal; make mistakes now before you're left with regrets later on

7. You can't grow if you don't change

8. You can't change if you don't grow

9. There's still time so don't give up

10. Be grateful for what you have and you'll get more back, tenfold

I'm sure there are so many more that are worth mentioning but the point is, storms will come and go but the sun will shine again. Remember, we can choose how we want to see things… and more importantly, how we want to be seen. I believe and hope that when all is said and done, our experiences make us who we are as individuals and as a community. So go out there, live and never forget there is nothing that can hold you back from where you want to be...

There are storms in life. Storms teach us real peace. In storms, we find our true value and our outer strength is matched with the inner strength. In storms, we find that our real friends are not those who are pretending to be our friends.

Life is not about avoiding storms, because there are no ways to avoid them. It is about learning to surf the storms with wisdom and strength. This boat is a container of a powerful message that teaches people how to live life in peace and harmony with the environment.

A storm is a passing event. And, when it does pass, something about us may have changed for the good. A Storm of life teaches us real strength. Not the kind that comes from being able to bench press 700 pounds. But the kind that comes from being able to lean into fear, uncertainty and pain and emerge stronger on the other side. The one lesson we can all learn is that change is the only constant in life. And nothing goes on forever.

Storms are both bad and good. They bring destruction, mayhem and upheaval. They uproot trees, rip off roofs, flood basements and cut power lines.

We might climb to higher ground, but we also can have an opportunity to rebuild, to learn, and return to better than we were before.

So as storms rock us, remember that as your foundation crumbles you now know what makes you strong—your pillars—and when the rain pours down your roof offers protection not because you bought a fancy roofer—but because you built it right.

Conclusively, Storms teach us a lot of things. They teach us about how persistent and structured nature is. They teach us to be strong and never give up, even when things get hard and it seems like the world has turned its back on you. Storms teach us about the precious treasure of life and how we need to cherish it. They teach us to stay true to ourselves. No matter the storm, there is always beauty in it. It may not be easy, but it is always worth it.

Stay Strong,  Tinuke.