Something massive had shaken my world. I was not prepared to face such reality. Nothing made any sense. It was impossible to go on living the way that I used to. I quit my job. I stopped talking to friends, and eventually stopped seeing family. I was Depressed!
I stayed on this self destructive path for longer than I care to admit, but something had to change.
As these things usually go, when one is faced with adversity, you have two choices.
You can run from your problems, or you can face them.
I knew I couldn’t keep running forever, so I decided to make a plan for myself.
This plan needed to include helping others. As I have discovered, a very effective way to help yourself is through helping other people.
Surrounding oneself with positive people was the next step. If you continue to associate with others on the “old” path, then things are not likely to change.
After making some small changes in my life, I noticed that “things” started to get better. I could start to “see” the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. This encouraged me that I was on “the right” path. I’d like to tell you that I refused temptations to fall back into old patterns, but I’m only human.
I learned to forgive myself, with the help of friends, and start again. I have a new appreciation for anyone making such commitments to change in their lives. I know it isn’t easy. I still struggle with my “demons”, but I think you’re always supposed to. That’s how you know they’re still there, and that with practice and time you can continue to overcome.
I’m not what you would call very religious, but I’m spiritually aware. It seems too easy to follow a set of instructions or rules so that when you die, you simply go to “heaven”. I think people lose sight of the big picture and fail to see that regardless of where one comes from, that we’re all in this world together. It takes personal responsibility, and accountability.
Unfortunately, this belief is not shared by everybody. Like all Beliefs, It’s a choice! You have to choose which path you wish to follow in life. In the end, I’m sure there will be some manner of accountability, but it's way beyond me figuring it out.