The Other Side of Inspiration

Thank you to my friend for inspiring this post! For me personally, Owning Your Voice has been my journey, and at this point on that journey, I am sharing what I have learned. I tend to do so, from a voice that is intended to inspire others. Yet, there is another side to all of this that is very important to acknowledge. Every point of wisdom, was born from an experience and awareness of the opposite. I had a manager once who said to me, "You are exactly where you need to be on your learning journey". 

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“When I get lonely these days, I think: So BE lonely, Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings.” 
~ Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

This is true at work and it is equally true in the realm of personal growth. As I have said before, we are here to have a "human experience". That means our deepest desire is to experience the full range of emotions. It is in the depth of our dark experiences that we are able to see the light of love and compassion, when we are ready. When we encounter a positive quote or article, it is heard and understood on a deep level. It may very well be, that we are currently far away from that reality. However, if it gives us hope, if it makes us feel understood, then it is perfect. I have been curled up in a ball on the couch or under the covers, sobbing uncontrollably. I have felt the pain of confusion between what I knew I was working towards and what was actually happening in my life. I have many times, hit the wall, wondering if I would have the strength to continue on. 

On the other side of these past experiences, I have deep gratitude, for each and every experience, for they have made me who I am today. I have read many books on this journey and as I re-read them, I see them differently, I experience them differently, for I am reading them with different eyes. I want to acknowledge, that wherever you are on your journey. Your tears are real. Your feelings are real. Your pain is real.  You are not broken, you don't need to be fixed, you are living and experiencing life AND you are right where you need to be.