One thing that we can all be sure of is that we will have challenges. No one is exempt from this; from the super wealthy to the poor, all have challenges to deal with and how we deal with these challenges determine our future.
After the birth of my second son, I had a complete breakdown. I found myself in a dark and alone space and my marriage in this time also was all but through. I had built my life on a very unsteady foundation and all at once everything came crashing down. The truth is everything was ripped apart. I went from steady, or so I thought, to total despair and it felt like it all happened at once. I found out that I was not at all steady, but rather completely vulnerable.
I can clearly remember that when everything came tumbling down, I had a specific moment where I had a choice to make. I could decide to just cover everything up and pretend that everything is fine even though it is not, or I could be vulnerable and lay it all out there for all to see. But I was done with being mediocre. I was done with pretending. I was done with living a false life.
What transcended was a long process of rebuilding. I literally dug up the foundation and started building over. This was a slow process, and it took time to regain any form of confidence. It was not easy, I would really be lying if I said it was, but there did come a day. There did come a day where the breakthrough happened, and this breakthrough was not and ordinary breakthrough. It was more like the biggest dam wall in the world had broken and water started flowing. The breakthrough was so profound that I went from unsure to absolutely certain in a moment. Everything became clear as day and this clarity gave me unbreakable confidence. It was by far the biggest breakthrough I had ever experienced and on my new foundation which had taken time to build, I was ready for everything that life could throw at me, and I still am to this day.
In the time that I was rebuilding it really felt as if everything was moving very slowly. There were many days that I felt overwhelmed, but I never let the challenges discourage me. I kept moving forward every day even though it was slowly. Keep moving forward became a mantra.
When everything fell apart I had every reason to give up, I had every reason to give in and surrender. There was a choice to be made in the breakdown, give up or man-up. Today I am grateful beyond comprehension that I made the choice to fight, to stand up, to take full responsibility for where I am and where I wanted to go. It was tough, really tough, but I took uncomfortable action every day, day after day.
I am where I am today because of that decision. I am now a father to three beautiful children and still married to my dream girl.
When we break down in life it is hard to see way out and very easy to give up and stop trying, but life’s greatest gifts are hidden in the toughest circumstances we find ourselves in.
If you are overwhelmed and would like to connect, please do.
