Friday, March 23, 2012

Serendipity

The dark will always find the light. We Wanderers cruise through our lives in search of answers. Desperately seeking the knowledge to life's great unknown questions. From the earliest moment that most of us can remember up until the day we die, we dwell on a single question, "Why?". Why is it that we contemplate on the things outside the realm of our control? Torturing ourselves with the answers outside our grasp. The answer is simple. We are creatures of knowledge. Constantly in demand of knowing what we don't understand or finding out the answers to our questions. A thorn in our side that constantly keeps us moving on; it makes us thirst for the acknowledgement of the things that we could never hope to come to terms with.

I offer you, my Wanderers, a new reflection. How about the notion of Serendipity? Webster says that serendipity is "an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident". Think about it. We all dwell on the past, constantly saying that there is no hope for the future. Truth be told, if we live our life through the experiences of our past, that's probably the right answer. What about this though? The answer is out there for us, we just don't need to go looking for it. At the right time and place the answers to all of our questions will land right in our lap, typically when we least expect it. I ask you, like I myself have had to do, to remove yourself from your current trifles. Look at your life from the outside in. What is it that you see? I guarantee you that no matter how much you have it "all figured out", the answers that you've been searching for are still undiscovered.


I'm tired of searching and I imagine you are too. No longer do we need to put ourself through so much angst. So much uncertainty is out there, yes. However, with this said, we are still human. We are meant to grow and make mistakes. Through these struggles and coming out on top through overwhelming odds we undoubtedly find out who we truly are. Laugh at the struggles in your past, because you know what? You're still here. You're here to step up and fight another day. Waving your sword of confidence and wisdom, you stand tall knowing that the good days are so close you can taste them.


Wanderers it is your turn to make me proud. Turn up the volume up on your life. Dance, sing, and find the joy in all the things that life has to offer. Never wish to grow up too fast. These days are meant to count too. So let us all take a moment to breathe. Remind ourselves that life is serendipitous, like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. I promise you, the moment you stop looking, those answers will land gently on your lap, and you will be able smile at all the bad times you have had to go through to get to this place of utter bliss. Like a feather on a breeze, we too will fly. Let's take this time to be swept off our feet, only to come down when we find ourselves in a place of true happiness. This is your time. Take on new challenges and march up to things outside of your comfort zone with arms wide open. Embrace life with every ounce of strength that you possess and make sure you remember that you are perfect just the way you are.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Man in the Mirror

My writings have typically consisted of a happy-go-lucky personality. An optimistic approach to the dark days and an even brighter persona for the good ones. Strolling through life with a smile and not a care in the world, and yes, I still stand behind this. However, the world has an odd way of balancing itself out. Seems like when you've just peaked and you feel like you've conquered all you set out to do, it's then that the high of success seems to fade, leaving you falling like a rock. Plummeting with no parachute, your stroll with a smile entangled by your own mixed emotions leaving you breathless and empty. As much as you fight to keep that glow on your face, suppressing that anger and sadness only makes that falling sensation grow. A panicked sense of helplessness that no one can pull you back from. For here, in your psyche, there are no safety ladders or life buoys to hoist you back from darkness. No trapeze nets to catch you on your way down.

Look into the mirror and tell me what you see. A man once looked into the mirror, and he was horrified by his shape staring him down. Knowing the things that person has said, and the people he has hurt with his words makes him sick. He cringes as he reflects on the things that he's done wrong: the lies, the secrets, the gossiping. An image in his own mind that putting others down, or lying to protect those he cares about would eventually bring him this grand gesture of happiness. He shakes this feeling, further suppressing his guilt and he smiles. Isn't that what we all want? To be able to wake up, step into the bathroom, and stare at ourselves in the mirror with a smile. Oh yes, this was his dream too, but his smile did not reflect the image he had strived for. His smile was never sadistic or vicious mind you, but an empty one, cold and without meaning. The only real thing staring back at him, on what used to be an otherwise flawless beam of pearly whites, is the discoloration stained onto his teeth from the number of cigarettes he has smoked as a last hope for some stress relief. The smile is nothing more than a facade to the otherwise unimpressive and morose being that has grown inside of him for so long. A weed that has manifested into overtaking the entire yard and he's unsure he can eradicate it at this point. Where does he even dare to begin?

So he tried identifying the problems and took into account the things that needed improving. This only worked for so long, because the frustration of not being able to change that reflection, that he stared at every day, grew deeper and hurt more each time. Instead of fighting anymore with fear of failure, he gave up. Lost himself in the extracurriculars that the dark-side had to offer. He reveled in his new found "paradise". He made the rules and had no one to answer to but himself, the one person that could care less. Relationships formed, relationships lost, did he care? Not a chance. Who needed feelings and love when the absence of it brought this euphoria of never being disappointed? Never having your heart broken like it had been so many times before. His soul was scarred by the number of trials and errors, and this new "paradise" put that soul in a black box. Who would want to remember the past and deal with that pressure, when this paradise was so carefree and emotionless?

He stumbled upon that box one day after years of it being hidden, collecting dust, and curiosity overcame him. His vacation in this paradise had been "wonderful", but it was starting to lose its luster; its shine, tarnished and couldn't be buffed out. So, taking the box in his hands he pried it open and the memories of those days flooded in. It was in this moment that he looked into the mirror, and for the first time in a long time he saw himself truly. A stud with no direction, a heart without a pulse. His eyes gazed back into themselves.

He remembered that stroll he once had; that smile that presented itself so effortlessly. Everything used to come so naturally, but he realized that it was himself that had changed. He was the one who decided to retreat into this darkness and now, it was time to stroll back into the light. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he had to start somewhere. From there he began his ascent back to the place where he used to be. To one day be able to look in the mirror and smile at the man that was smiling back at him.


It Gets Better...I promise. Step by step we all eventually end up where we want to be. Keep walking and see for yourself.