Life is beautiful. I couldn't describe it to you; for everyone needs to see it and experience it for themselves. However, there is a gift we possess that conveys this beauty. This gift cannot be wrapped, seen, or even bought, but it can be felt. Emotions are our gift. The power to feel so much love that you would rather cease feeling than to be without it. To experience so much hurt and pain that you buckle at the knees for fear to go on. And to feel so helpless that you don't know where to turn or at best, where to begin. I will tell you what my Wanderers. I see these not as plagues, but as privileges. A responsibility that we are all hard wired into accepting and should never condemn, but more so to embrace. The power to feel, even when it's pain, is the beauty to live. And that beauty should not be overlooked.
Let's be honest, life is hard. More than that, life can be all but impossible at times. A widow working three jobs to put two kids through college. A mormon missionary who is excommunicated from his church for being a homosexual and then sent to a camp to convert him to "normalcy". It can seem unfair and brutal, but there is a bigger picture. Now I would not consider myself a religious man, but I am a firm believer in fate. I believe that for every single one of us there is a plan. A light at the end of the tunnel that is sometimes blocked from sight, but never extinguished. An ever burning hope that things are going to get better. So I ask of you, that when things seem dreary and that light cannot be seen, please do not give up. Work through these woes and uncover that flicker of hope again. It doesn't matter what rut you may feel yourself dwelling in, there is always an out. A life-vest on a sinking ship. A ladder from a burning building. We are all meant for so much more, and those lights are never far from sight.
Now as humans, we reside in our comfort zones. Never wanting to upset the balance of what is accepted or challenge rules that appear to be set in stone. However, something is lost when we isolate ourselves. Connectivity. We confine ourselves into our perfect little stereotypes and do not wish to step out and experience others. We read people the moment they walk through the door. Judge the ground on which they walk before they have a chance to open their mouths, and it is in those seconds where we allow them into our content little space or we shut the door and flip the deadbolt. I'm not chastising anyone by any means. We are all human after all. But we do owe it to ourselves to allow this connection back into our lives. To talk to people and experience new things. Embrace people for exactly who they are and never for a moment pass up on opportunities. Now I wouldn't advise embracing the "bath salts" guy who ate that homeless man's face off. For one, I just don't approve of such foul play. And two, you might get your face eaten off as well. The point is though to allow your comfort zone to stretch. Or better yet, to lift off your shoulders so that you can see the world with some clarity to the reality that surrounds you. There is so much out there to discover and try. Don't limit yourself. Go out there and see for yourself. Allow those emotions to pour out and feel alive.
I can sum up my point with something of a metaphor. Have you ever looked at a comic strip? Not read it, but held it so close to your face that the pictures became nothing more than little dots. Life is kind of like that sometimes. We may not be able to see past the mere pixels on a page, but eventually, we pull the image back just enough to discover the entire picture, and somehow everything makes sense. Each connection that we make, and each emotion that we have is a singular dot. We are all part of the big picture so allow yourself to step back and see it. May these emotions that you have only bring you closer to the people around you. Connect with others, don't be afraid. Live out loud. And above all, be the change you want to see in the world. That picture is a beautiful thing and I'd hate for you to miss it.
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