Sometimes life sucks

We’ve all been through harsh times. You know this as much as I do. You’re stuck in a rut, and it’s going to take time to get out of it. So you may wonder what’s the fastest way to the best view between you and some close friends.

When I say the best view, I mean a better state of affairs in your life, where things look good, and you feel the same. So, as opposed to an apparent state of affairs, I’m speaking about a situation where what you see is what you get and is the best view you can imagine, even from way down in the dirt where you are now. 

Beckett was once asked why he thought so many poets came out of Ireland, or maybe it’s a quote from one of his plays; in any case, it goes something like this: “When you’ve lied for so long in the ditch there’s nothing much left but to sing.”

Accepting reality for what it is

At the risk of repeating myself, I believe that the fastest way out of the ditch is to realize that you are in the ditch. Singing is an excellent way to cheer up and may contribute to finding a way out if you want to get out, that is. 

We’d all agree that the ditch is not the best view. But, unless you have no choice, seeking a better view that best suits you is not an unreasonable thing to hope for. I’d argue, though, that you always have a choice.

Yesterday we spoke about hope and its origin in our imagination. Where you can see in your mind’s eye a better view, another point is this – if you’re looking for a better view, why not, while you’re at it, look for the best one? 

Changing perspective

Imagining your best view, rather than the view from the ditch, is not easy. You have to be able to change perspective before you can get up and move from your current position. This is where the power of your imagination can stand out if you only let it.

“Imagination, I believe, fundamentally sets us apart from the rest of life on earth — very little does truthfully… Human beings have powerful imaginations. By imagination, I mean the ability to bring into mind things that aren’t present to our senses.” Said Sir Ken Robinson at the 2012 Emergent Learning Conference.

So you have to activate your imagination, that thing we all possess that makes us human. By doing that, you change your perspective on how things are and how they could be. 

Finding your north

The next step would be to find your north (star) and follow it. Easier said than done, I admit. Take the first step by asking yourself what you want. Once you answer that question, you have to believe it’s possible. 

“A lot of things you believe to be impossible are actually well within your reach.”
Says Martha Beck in her book Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live.

When you’ve done that, there’s no other way but to stand up in the ditch and take the first step in the right direction. By simply standing, your view will get better already. Follow your north star, and become unstoppable. 

If you have done all that, you are like Baron Munchhausen who pulled himself out of the swamp with his horse. This is no light feat. Take heart and keep going.