This blog is my catharsis. When I’m feeling particularly
stressed out or down I like to write about it. The same thing with being happy
and pumped. When I’m emotional I write, and that’s exactly how this blog came
into being. I was disappointed in the way dating was being treated in the city
where I lived. After giving so many of my girlfriends advice to try and help
with their courtship trials I decided to put my knowledge out there, in the
hopes that I could help more people than just the ones I knew personally. I
sincerely hope I did manage to help in some way.
Now, here I am again, frustrated, and looking to help people
out. But this time it’s different. Yes, dating in Rexburg was difficult but it
didn’t seem to affect me the same way it did my girlfriends. I could handle
Rexburg, at least as well as I needed to. But now, I’m looking at a different
yet interestingly similar situation. Again, there is an issue, and again I find
I want to help people see a different way to do things, but this time it’s a little
more personal. And yet, I cannot seem to find my voice. Well, isn’t that what a
blog is for? So, here is my opinion, and I’d like to share it with you.
I am disappointed again. I seem to find myself adrift in an
ocean with no life jacket to keep me afloat. I’ve been washed over by waves and
always find myself tumbling around and emerging worse for wear as the waves
move on. There is little chance to swim, as I seem to always be kicking against
the current, so I’m left with the option to either drift and pray I land
somewhere favorable or give it all I’ve got and make my own way. (Did I lose
anybody in the metaphor? Sorry, let me explain.)
“Possibilities” is a great word isn’t it? It means potential
or promise. The idea of something good to come. But sometimes our possibilities
don’t turn out the way we intend. When you go into a situation with
expectations you have to make a plan for if or when those expectations don’t
turn out the way you’d hoped. Like taking a life jacket with you on a boat in
case of emergencies. But what happens when we forget our life jacket?
I left Rexburg Idaho last summer with an expectation that my
possibilities would be endless. I had a dream of moving on to something better,
something that would move me forward toward the things I wanted to accomplish
with little to no effort on my part. I took a very big risk and made a big
change hoping it would land me somewhere I needed/wanted to be to make what I
wanted happen. But things didn’t go exactly as planned and all I really ended
up doing was jumping into a tumultuous ocean without a flotation device, and
attempted to swim for it.
So I was disappointed, but in what? Well, partly it was my
lack of planning for the worst-case scenario. But that’s not all. A lot of my
disappointment is my fault but not all of it. At least I tried to swim. I am
disappointed in those who decide to do nothing but drift.
There is a famous LDS writer and speaker by the name of John
Bytheway. I’m pretty sure a lot of you have heard of him. He tells a great
story about a bunch of people tubing down a big river. The ride is great,
calmly floating down the river with no cares, following the path of least
resistance, and going wherever the current takes you. But there are a few
people who aren’t satisfied with what the river has to offer them. They notice
that as the river flows it takes them further down, and the farther down they
go the more debris fill the river; sticks, logs and even garbage impede their
path. Some people want to leave the river, looking for bigger and better things
beyond its banks, but find the current is strong and getting to shore is
difficult. Some make it to the bank only to leave one foot in the water and
eventually get sucked back in. But
for those who make it out, the experience was completely worth it. They find
that although it’s difficult, forging your own path is far more satisfying than
drifting ever could be.
Too many of us are drifting. We are floating down a river
either we can’t or won’t escape from. Following the path of least resistance
because we find we lack the energy to do anything else. I’ve seen good people,
people who I used to respect and admire, caught up in the flow of others around
them until they found themselves acting like a person they weren’t. Sad to say
I have lost some of my respect for these people. Drifting may be easy, but it
isn’t worth it. While fighting against the current may be difficult, you do it
with the knowledge that you will not be taken somewhere you don’t want to go
without a fight.
I am issuing a call. I call to all those who may find
themselves floating down a river they do not wish to be in. All those people
who have lost sight of who they really wish to be, I ask you to fight the
current made by those around you. Swim for the shore for all you’re worth and find
some solid ground. Don’t let yourself be drawn down by the path of least
resistance. Find some higher ground and stand firm. It may not be easy, but I
can guarantee… it’s worth it.
