March 9th, 2023
Over the past few years, this quote, “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” ― G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain, has been used repeatedly. That is because we are living during a very complex time right now with nothing but change occurring, That quote also illustrates that change happens in the course of a cycle. In the Old Norse faith, our lives are a part of the natural cycle, and in the myth Ragnarök, which is an end-of-the-world myth, which in my opinion is the end of a cycle before a rebirth, symbolizing the endless cycle. Also as a person who studies history, this cycle theory has been proven to be correct over time. Ancient Greece/Rome, Egypt, the age of Vikings and now us. We are right on that same path. It is hard to believe that but it is unfortunately true.
Here is where I am going with this.
Life is changing tides for everyone. Whether it is the state of the country and world, or it is a personal change, relationships, jobs, etc. It is intimidating, makes us feel uncomfortable, or might excite some people. We all have different ways of processing change and that is what I want to focus on, In a world where everyday something is changing it can be difficult to know where to put your focus, do you focus on your family? Do you focus on what you think is important to you? Or do you focus on yourself? Only you know the answer. However, in my eyes, the only thing that you have one hundred percent control over is you and your surroundings. While any type of change is occurring, take a step back and ask yourself, what do I need to do in order to adapt and overcome this? The answers will vary but there will eventually be an answer that you will not like, but do not dismiss it for that it might be the only way through. Sometimes people depend on others to aid them through tough situations and that is not a bad thing, it is part of being human, and we are social creatures. Yet, there could be times when the only way to handle it is by yourself. One of the important parts of life that I have learned, is learning how to be alone. People are not always going to be there when you need them or It might just mean that others do not have an understanding of what you are trying to adapt to or some sadly do not have those people in their lives. The power of being able to be alone, especially when change is happening, is a power that is unfathomable to some. I am by no means saying that anyone should go through things alone but the possibility of that needs to be accepted, We all need help from others. Believe me, I know but If you can make it through challenging times alone, I promise, you will come out a stronger individual, mentally, spiritually, (regardless of faith), and maybe even physically. If you can achieve that, you can achieve anything. Having the understanding that most changes happen in the form of what seems like a never-ending cycle, unlocks the ability for the cycle to be benefited from instead of it being feared.
With all that said, asking for help is an effort that takes a huge amount of strength and if that is what you need to do, then please talk to someone that you trust. I understand that being alone is not an option for some. Understand that being alone is not the same as being as lonely, that is another topic all in itself. I just believe that we all possess a power that can be benefited from for the rest of our lives but to achieve it, the acceptance of the possibility and the practice of being alone is a proper way to obtain it. And remember, being alone will allow you to discover who you truly are.
Peyton.
