Isn’t it strange how people try so hard to fit into a world of people who are as individual as they are? There are countless little groups of folks everywhere you look who believe that if someone doesn’t think the way they do or are a new comer, then they “don’t fit in”. At work, in villages and towns, the neighbors on a single street or amongst a group of friends that have known one another for several years. Let’s not even mention families.

And each one of these groups are unique unto themselves as well so when you get down to the bottom line, there is no “fitting in” anywhere…because you are unique.

You said it perfectly; Bringing the inner ideal itself to it’s best reality. What a great statement. The strength was always there. You either have it or you don’t. You just never knew it. Neither one of us had a chance to find that hidden strength until we needed it. That, I truly believe, is what life is all about. An lifetime of lessons (experiences) to work through and then learning from them—good or bad. It’s when you stop learning from them that you begin to fail.

I’m glad neither one of us stopped learning. Otherwise who would there be to talk to under that tree?

One of the very unfortunate things about having a personal blog and a half finished series on yet another, is that I can’t quit the day job yet. So I’m off to work and I refuse to just write out some quick reply to your wonderful comment.

But after work…I’ll be back.

Wishing you a wonderful day with love returned.

What a wonderful photo you’ve found to illustrate this experience that we lucky ones have to go there.

I read this again a few days later and I’m ready to write some thoughts in response that might mean something.

To me, it’s appropriate that we call it hitting rock bottom because I think of it as going to the foundations of who we are. I know that when I went there my foundation was build on sand and dirt — not very steady, not very strong. I was a reflection more than a person, a reaction to the world. I had been trying too hard to belong, to fit, to reconstruct to some outer ideal rather than make the inner ideal bring itself to its best reality.

So it was either go back deal with it or keep locking pieces of my history and my “self” away where I denied everyone including me access. That, of course, meant that folks noticed I wasn’t entirely present or available when they met me, even though I thought I was. No wonder they often had a problem with trusting who I might be. . . . I didn’t know that I didn’t trust me.

Going back to build my foundation on concrete meant I could show the world what I am.

This is a beautifully written essay on how to do just that. It’s inspiring and supportive. It shows the character behind the man who wrote the words. People have a choice when they hit rock bottom. Drugs or alcohol not only can take us there, but they can be the escape when we arrive. You didn’t make that choice, you opened the windows to let in the light; you went through the trash; and you picked up the broom to clean up the room until it was a place where you might want to live.

You said YES to life.

Thank you for writing this.

I sign this with my love,
Liz

The eyeopener I found when I went through my dark times was that it turned out to be not so much a struggle as it was just plain old hard work once I saw what was what. I guarantee it’s one of the hardest things anyone can do but it’s most definitely worth it.

Oh, by the way…I’ve been stopping by to check your blog but all I was getting for the longest time was your directory listing on your server (as in what you see in your FTP program when you’re uploading themes and/or plugins). I see you got it working properly within the last few days.

Keep the faith. All good thoughts your way then.

Amazing isn’t it? Have the time we are struggeling to make things better while the other half of the time we do our best to destroy ourselves. Yup…that’s human nature alright.

There are a lot of people I know for sure that have all sorts of things “under the rug”. Did you ever hear anyone say; “Oh, that’s a subject we don’t speak of” or something similar? I know there’s always sensitive subjects in anyone’s life but you can’t bury these things forever.

Sun’s still shining!