Never a Failure, Always a Lesson

We all have our own unique paths we take in this grand experience we call life, and sometimes our paths diverge from what we knew, and lead us to where we are, which for me, is sometimes very lonely.

Since I began doing the inner work that I feel is necessary to become the best version of myself, I have found that the choices I have made to lead me to where I am, from where I was, have left me somewhat isolated from those I used to share interests with. The diverging of paths does not mean one persons path is better than another persons, it just means that different choices are made at pivotal times which lead one down one fork, and one down another.

Spending a lot of time in solitude has taught me the value of my own company, and has also taught me how truly valuable the present moment truly is, I have read numerous texts that reference how important living in the present is, but it wasn’t until I had the full experience of appreciating why that is, for me, that I truly began to appreciate and understand the sentiment that many authors and independent spiritual seekers have eluded to. We all have a different perspective of what this world is, and while many of us share a common perspective of the purpose of this life, no two peoples' perceptions will be exactly the same.

I have been in my own journey working on overcoming the struggles that mental health challenges have brought into my life, as well as working diligently on overcoming the struggles that addiction has also created. I feel that this is something that has allowed me to achieve strength that I otherwise would not have been able to achieve, and also gives me a unique perception and empathetic sense that allows me to act as a bridge between those who have suffered from such things, and those who have not. I have been in active recovery for some time now, and while my journey is not yet over, I have made great strides in overcoming these challenges to the best of my ability thus far.

When I was young I never would have imagined that my life would have held the challenges that it has, but although it has been a challenging road, I can’t say that I would want to necessarily change anything, because without the experiences I have been through I don’t believe I would have the knowledge and experience to help others in working through these struggles which is what I am very blessed to do on a day to day basis in the work I do, not simply that which I do for my day job, but also that which I strive to do otherwise. I do my very best to be a positive example for those around me, not simply for that reason, but because since I have been working towards being the best version of myself, it seems to naturally ripple outwards, allowing others to see that if one person who has struggled from such challenges can overcome and continue on their own path in such a way, that they can also.

We all have the potential to act as a beacon of light and hope for others, but allowing our challenges to become opportunities for growth, and when we do this, it has the potential to inspire others to do the same thing, through our actions and our words. Life is not about competing with one another, for that is what has led to so much adversity in todays world, but about living in harmony with one another, and helping each other to overcome whatever challenges arise. We are so much stronger together than we are apart, and I feel this is the ultimate goal of our species, to learn to function cohesively and coherently as one team, working towards the betterment of not just our civilization, but the restoration of our planet, to a state of peaceful collaboration.

Sometimes in our attempts to move forward, we inadvertently take a step back, but that is not a failure, it is a lesson that needed reinforcing to fully integrate and allow us to grow more fully.

Brightest Blessings.