Raves, rants and reality

Benjamin Disraeli was a wildly distinguished British politician and novelist who lived through nearly all of the 1800’s. Although it’s likely that most Americans won’t remember him from European history or simply never learned of him at all, you can bet that most of us have quoted him at least once.

Disraeli is generally accepted to have been the first to say, “Change is inevitable. Change is constant.”

I find that quote both comforting and heartbreaking.

I’m incredibly grateful that time does move forward, taking us and every single atom in the universe along with it (as far as we know, at least). Seriously, could you even imagine what life would be like if it were stagnant?

Sure, when the good times are here, I don’t hesitate to assume that we all would prefer the good times to keep rolling - but we also all know that’s just not going to happen.

Change IS inevitable and although it doesn’t always seem positive at the time, often we can look back and admit that some of the darkest parts of our life have helped get us to the next positively defining moments in our existence.

My RAVE this week is for every single person on the planet. The strength that we all carry within us to keep moving forward may not always be easy to find - but it is there. Sometimes we need a little help from those who love us to remind us how valuable we truly are and that’s okay too. Everyone needs a hand up, a pat on the back and a shoulder to cry on now and then, as long as we remember that our strength come from inside us, not only from our belief in ourselves but in that of life, love and grace.

My RANT is that we are all riding our own unique roller coasters with blindfolds on, not knowing if the next turn will take us to a new high, a new low, speed up, remain at a constant speed for a little bit longer or come to that last screeching halt. We may not be truly alone on this populated planet, but sometimes we do need to find our own paths, apart from those whom we have come to depend on, pulling ourselves away from whatever road we’ve been traveling down and venturing, either tentatively or like a rogue bull charging ahead, grateful to finally be free.

Autumn is the perfect time for us to reflect on the life we’ve lived so far, the miles we’ve tread, the people we’ve met, loved, abandoned and clung to, each one of them have helped to create who we are today. Are you grateful for who you are today?

The REALITY is that so many of us do not appreciate our unique lives as the beautifully intense paintings that only we could create. The twists and turns, the ups and downs, the good and the bad that we have all experienced to get us to where we are right now, using our innate strength, perseverance and individuality, that is the beauty of the human condition.

I hope you all take a moment to reflect on seasons we have passed through, to perceive your past strengths with the gratitude you deserve, and finally, to allow yourself the truth that there will always be more where that came from... because change is coming.