Do It Again
When we go through the storms of life and come out on the other side scarred, bruised, and wondering how we made it out alive we often tell ourselves what we could have done better or different.
If only we could rewind to every place before the storm started.
Would we give ourselves a warning for what lies ahead or would we tell our past selves to run as fast as we could in the opposite direction?
It’s a hard choice isn’t it?
No matter how you twist the choices, it not a simple one.
None of it is easy when those storm clouds start building. Even with a storm warning the winds can shift directions, the jet stream changes, a high or low pressure can build, and a dry line can come in to shake all the things up.
The same goes for life.
If we were given the warning of what lies ahead before it hits you right in the stomach, maybe we would survive it all better. Maybe we would make different choices in the moment of chaos. Just maybe we wouldn’t look back and think to ourselves about all the times during the storm we should’ve, could’ve, and would’ve done it all different.
But what if we made the choice to run far away in the opposite direction, what would we learn?
To always run away from the dark clouds that look scary and overwhelming?
Or would we realize that living a life scared of everything is actually not really living?
The storms of life are important to our survival and learning who we are.
Through these storms we learn to trust ourselves. We learn to listen to that tiny gut feeling that is always present. We learn our truth. We learn our worth. We learn to use our voice even if it shakes a whole building down. We learn that we are strong, bold, and courageous even when it seems like everything is drowning around us.
Certain storms will have you as a target. The storm will do everything to take you down with it. It won’t be easy or kind to you. You will not know how to reach for the light at times.
And this is where the lesson lies.
In going through the storm you come out a changed person. You learn to love yourself and everything the storm brought with it-not because you have to but because you choose to.
You choose to hope even in your darkest night.
You choose to pick faith over fear.
You choose to trust yourself and your choices moving forward.
The storm changed the landscape of who you are and it intended to do that.
The storm had to come because you had to change. Without the storm you wouldn’t be able to stand here today and explain why you made the choices you have made. You wouldn’t be able to explain how your faith is so much bigger than it used to be. You wouldn’t be able to even grasp how you can listen to that little voice inside of you telling you what to do next without even batting an eye.
The storm always intended to break you but you continued on to the next thing.
And I would do it all again.
Every storm that crashed in at day break. I would go back and do it again.
Just to learn a little more about who I am and who I was meant to be. To see the things that were sent to break me that only made me stronger. To witness life in places where there was said to be none. To see miracles, to grow my faith, to learn to not place fear in the drivers seat.
I would do it again.
And the most important thing I would tell myself is that the storm won’t break you even if it convinces you that it will. That you’ll come out scarred, bruised, and wondering how you made it out alive but you’ll make it.
And you would do it all again just to show yourself that you can and will survive.