Phoenix Blossoms

Life hands you challenges- not to test you, but to teach you how to rise to the occasion. This is not school, although you are learning. This is not an assignment, although there are tasks you must see to completion. This is a process. Sometimes complex and sometimes painful. Though never completely still, always in motion.

This past year has been one of the most challenging years of my life. I have been stretched, broken, and bent beyond what I thought I could handle. The truth is, there have been plenty of moments I couldn’t handle. And it is in these moments that I learn not of my own strength, but how to be resourceful.

No man is an island. Cliche this, cliche that, it is as true as it gets. Despite this knowing, I am aware that there are certain passes and stretches of life that one must go alone. But are we ever truly alone? I have felt alone, many times. Isolated, trapped within my own mind, and feeling hopeless. It is scary. It is defeating. Yet, it can be liberating as well. This is the temptation of solitude.

I’d like to think I’m a bit of a solitude expert. It’s really nothing to brag about. Hyper-independence disguised as productivity. Insurmountable obstacles taken head on, crawl by grueling crawl. There is something to be said of the strength to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, but not enough is said of the courage to put that weight down.

There is no rising, without first a fall. Imperfections, nuances, and the tiny quirks that make us unique- are exactly what makes us human. They say that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. All the same, there is nothing to be ashamed of. For the one who can proudly own their mistakes and differences is certainly the bravest. Freeing not only themselves, but every passerby who is touched by their light.

So as this year rolls gently forward, let us be courageous enough to let others in. To rely on a strength that is greater than one man, to ask for help, and be humble enough to receive it. This year make a vow to yourself to be real. No holding back, no hiding, and no hesitation. Make it a practice. Real connections only come from real vulnerability. And in order to rise from these challenges, we need each other now more than ever. Take note of how resourced you are. In moments of weakness, its not more strength that is needed- but more support. A higher power to rest your heart, a friend on which to rest your head, or even a stranger on the internet to find reflections in and rest your body. You are never alone. And together, we rise.