I was browsing Pinterest
yesterday, and ran across this graphic:
…and it stopped me in my tracks! I realized then that part of the
old me was NOT dead. I still have the desire to create and to share with
others, but I do not want to go about it in the same manner as I had before. I
want to share life lessons and inspirations that I have discovered (or
remembered) through this cool social media tool that we know as Pinterest. So
this will be my own little slice of paradise where wounds are healed, trials are
overcome, and lessons are learned…and where I can not only take accountability
for my past, but I can also expect nothing but the impossible for my future.
For over four years, I have been making a number of life-altering
decisions that, while difficult to make at the time, turned out to be some of
the best choices I have ever made…for that moment in time. There were
friendships that were severed, family ties that were broken, and leisurely
hobbies that were left by the wayside. All of the “old
ways” had vanished, and I was left standing at these
“new doors” with nothing but a fistful of questions
and a desperate need for change. But what if I couldn't change? What would I
become if I did change? What if no one else considered those changes a good
thing? Would I be proud of what I would become?
The first month was spent in a dark depression and a self-induced
solitude until I realized that change was inevitable whether I was ready for it
or not. ALL of these events had changed me, and they would
continue to change me. The anger, the frustration, the heartbreak that I felt
in the beginning started to change. My attitude, my outlook, and even my heart
were beginning to change. The old ways of revenge, retaliation, and rivalry were
giving way to forgiveness, reconciliation, and humility. I refused to become
one of those pitiful, broken individuals whose life was ruined and scarred by
the decisions and actions of others. And I refused to continue on a journey of
bitterness and hate. I’d rather be better than bitter. I’d rather allow
forgiveness to be the guide on the next phase of this journey. I’d rather mend
fences and rebuild bridges. And I’d rather change my world than allow my world
to change me again.
So could I change? Yes…in more ways than one. What would I become if I did change? I’d become the person I was always meant to be…and I’d continue to change for the better. Would everyone else accept and appreciate these changes? One can never be sure…but I’m really starting to enjoy the person I've become (and the person I’m still becoming). And I’d like everyone else to meet her as well.
