This winter was a tough one for me. I found myself dragging through the days. I didn’t want to get out of bed on some mornings. My energy was at a low point. My well-meaning, caring friends suggested a light box to get me through the gray days. No one said the dreaded word, “depression,” but it was pretty darn close. “Seasonal Affective Disorder”, they said.
I stopped writing.
There were several books in the works, but I couldn’t get myself “in a writing mood.” The muse left and didn’t want to return. I was perplexed, as we had moved to a new place and things had settled down into a comfortable pace, yet I found myself complaining left and right about little things. I was turning into a grumpy woman and my husband was losing a bit of patience here and there. I found myself grieving for the people I had lost in a short time–my mom, my nephew, my friends Patti and Peggy. Grief that had been stuffed down now poured forth freely. I was going to bed earlier and staying in bed longer. The pounds were packing on.
Then the spring came.
Like a blossom that unfolds overnight, I found myself with new energy and a new outlook. Can it really be that simple–that light and growth change everything?
Indeed.
To everything there is a season.
For some of us, the season is counted in years. For others it is days or months. For each of us, it is a journey. It’s often when one season shifts to another that we find the shift of energy as well.
I know I have much to be grateful for and when I drift from that state of gratitude, that’s when the darkness creeps in.
A short time ago, I attended a Passion Summit. It was a breath of fresh air, the springtime boost that I desperately needed. A speaker, Hal Elrod, took the stage. Hal is the author of The Miracle Morning and he generously gave out a copy of his book to every participant. If you have not heard of Hal or read his book, I so recommend it. His podcasts have transcripts. His book is a life-changer. I started implementing his miracle morning steps shortly after the conference and it has made a huge difference. There are days when I don’t follow it and I give in to the sweet indulgence of staying in bed just a little longer–and I pay the price in a sluggish morning.
During the summit, Hal shared his story–of dying in a car accident and being revived, of having his career come to a huge debt-ridden dip, and of being diagnosed with cancer literally overnight. The Miracle Morning process has changed the way he lives his life–putting many things in perspective and giving him extra hours in the day so that he can have even more meaningful time later.
Sometimes it takes someone else’s story to “wake us up.” My sister in law was recently diagnosed with cancer. A friend’s daughter was diagnosed with a cancer entailing her spine. A barefoot water skier was recently killed in a boat race accident.
Just like that, life can take a turn down a road we never expected. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, we can’t assume that it will be there day after day. We must cherish with gratitude each day that we do have.
****I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Ziglar Legacy Conference in Dallas. The story I shared was a reminder not only for the audience, but it was a reminder that I needed for myself. When adversity strikes or we are going through a rough season in life, we have control over three things: our response to our thoughts, our attitudes, and our actions: When Adversity Strikes.
Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. She is the author of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want.