mental strength begins when i step out of bed.
it continues while i sip my morning coffee.
mental strength accompanies me throughout my movements.
it sees me through until day’s end.
it’s been quite a summer.
for me, for my whole family.
tests of strength.
some small, some not-so-small.
some little more than blips on the radar,
some extremely painful.
as maroon 5’s song reminds us, “this summer’s gonna hurt…”
last week i spoke about the summer of silence.
and i wrote these words:
i do believe i control my destiny.
i’m just not sure i control its course.
this week i tried not to resist so much.
to relax and move with the motion,
allow the natural flow to take the lead.
knowing i could help maneuver around the curves,
and guide its direction.
there are still moments i find myself . . .
falling, in a world that sees me holding on,
rising above.
falling, below my previously expected pedestal.
far beneath my own aspirations.
falling, as if there is no longer any support to grasp onto,
any foundation under my feet.
falling, and i feel no end.
but then . . .
a parachute suddenly opens up,
slows me, cushions my landing.
lesson learned.
i don’t wish to dwell in a place of darkness.
when a deafening silence descends upon me,
i look for the lesson within.
waiting for an outcome can feel unbearable,
but i know things will ultimately be resolved,
one way or another.
sometimes we have to experience the myriad of emotions,
both positive and negative,
and then simply ride the wave.
the summer of strength.
there has been heavy content in the silence.
and even though we haven’t wanted to listen to it,
even though we would rather have ignored it,
necessities for existence were revealed all the same.
like . . .
- we can’t control (or always understand) the reactions and responses of other people.
- being diligent and prepared matters.
- there is never any reason to be rude.
- our thoughts are just our thoughts; they do not define us.
- it’s worth it to fix or make better whatever we can.
- we can’t make someone like us.
- others’ words/actions may linger forever; our words/actions may also be permanent.
- standing up for who we are, what we believe in, is vital.
- common decency and compassion is never hard, always right.
- if we feel trapped or helpless, we must ask for assistance, make a change.
this summer brought silence.
and with it, tremendous strength.
what strength have you found in difficult periods of silence?
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my latest column at mindfulist.com is up:
Are You Hungry for Mere Food or Is It Actually Your Soul That Needs Nourishment?
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I love how this connected so well to last week’s post. I also love how no matter what challenges you face and no matter how external factors try you, you always look within first. It’s an honorable trait you have and I hope, if not now at least later, that brings you comfort. My favorite line is, “sometimes we have to experience the myriad of emotions, both positive and negative, and then simply ride the wave.” YES, YES, YES! Thank you for that reminder. That myriad of emotions needs to be dealt with and experienced. They will come back later if not. Thank you for these wise, wise words!! <3
ahh silence collaborates with the soul. so appreciated and so needed. thank you April for sharing and reminding us xx
Lovely blog post again, I enjoy your prose. Silence is something I find lacking with a 1 year old running around and living in a city. I seek silence in nature when I can and my best thoughts come from this silence. I don’t have a difficult period of silence to reference at the moment, but I’m sure one will come in the future and I will remember this post.
Beautiful post! Those necessities you listed are vital, yet sometimes easy to forget. In periods of silence, those are times where I usually am most receptive to growth and learning. They can be self-induced periods, or when I don’t make the time, the world does it for me in some way. Thank you for sharing another poetically insightful post!