Hell

“Most of life is hell. It’s filled with failure and loss.  Dreams don’t work out, hearts get broken, people let you down … But you’ll never get to the next great moment if you don’t keep going. So that’s what I do. I keep going.” ~ Elaine Hammond on the show Political Animals

I was watching the new series Political Animals and Sigourney Weaver, playing the character Elaine Hammond , gave the idiot, snotty reporter chick the spiel quoted above. I thought…she is right!

It took me a long time to understand or realize life is not a destination, it’s a journey. I would get frustrated with the fact the great moments weren’t everlasting and seemed shorter than the hell in-between. It’s easier to make it through the hell focused on making it to the heights; it helps you remember the reasons you keep going.

Even when all hell has broken loose around you, there is always something to be thankful for. A while back when I was having a hard time fighting the darkness that was closing in on me, I happened upon my desktop widget for The Secret. The widget changed every day with some inspirational or motivational quote. This day it talked about finding something to be grateful for. In summary, the daily message from The Secret said to make a list of 100 things you are grateful for no matter how small. It explained that the task would be difficult at first but as you go on, it gets easier and easier. The point is that making the list helps you to focus on the positive and not the problems you are currently experiencing.

When I first attempted this, it probably took an hour to get to number 5. I made a commitment to make a daily list of 100 for 30 days. The first few days I struggled to get to 100 but as the process went on, I noticed that it was not only easier but I would go through my day looking for things to be grateful for so I could put it on my list. Then I realized the project worked! I’d shifted my focus from the immediate problems and circumstances surrounding me to the very smallest things I could be grateful for and I started seeing more and more to be grateful for and less to be upset about.

I don’t do this on a daily basis anymore but when I’m having a hard day and can’t seem to remember the point of surviving this hellish life, I make a list of 100. Once I came to the understanding that life is rough most of the time but focusing on my purpose and direction makes it worth living, it became easier to get through the bumpy patches. It’s not about what’s going on around you, rather what you’re looking at and moving towards.

Funk-O-Meter = 3.5

Days Without 'Cupcake' = 1