For, you see, so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.
-Lewis Carroll
It’s a beautiful sunny summer day here in Denver, Colorado. Where are you today? Take a moment to appreciate wherever it is you are.
Many times we can feel we should be somewhere else – we should be further ahead in our careers; we should be fitter, thinner, healthier; we should be in an amazing relationship; we should live somewhere with a better climate; and on and on. The funny thing is, no matter where we go, we take ourselves with us. You may move to a different city or a different country, or change jobs or careers, or start a new relationship, only to discover you’re still you. Darn it.
I have lived and worked in several different countries and these experiences definitely changed me. I moved to San Jose, Costa Rica several years ago. I had a certain set of expectations of how my time living and working there would be.
My actual experience was far different than what I had envisioned.
And, no, it wasn’t better than I had imagined, it was much more difficult. It forced me to confront myself. What was I running from or running towards? If I wasn’t running towards myself, where was I going to end up? It was a very challenging year and a half. I continued to ask myself – can you be ok no matter what? Regardless of your circumstances, can you still sit with yourself? Can you hold on to yourself? Can you let go of how it’s supposed to be, be present for how it is, and fully live this experience?
We tend to learn the most about ourselves when we are faced with challenging situations. The trick is to resist the urge to distract ourselves or self-medicate or run away. The only way to get over something difficult is to get through it. This requires us to stay present for all of it. That’s where the deep learning comes from. And that is when we discover how powerful we truly are.
Wherever you are, start there. Don’t wait for the ideal circumstances – there aren’t any. Start anyway. Start small. Just start.
That is when we learn very few things indeed are impossible. The question is, what are you up for?