OK...where was I?

I am sure we have all been interrupted during a project, meeting, or conversation by something that demands our immediate attention and upon our return have commented "Ok...where was I?"  or "Where were we?"  Unexpected events in life can leave us feeling this way too.

Unemployment, death (especially sudden death), health issues, breakups, injuries, job relocation, traumatic occurrences...all of these and more can have a profound affect on our lives.  After we go through the emotions and heartache of our loss or pain and try to begin to heal, we may often find ourselves asking, "Where was I?"

The answer to that question may look dramatically different from before.  I am a firm believer that good can be found in every situation, even in our darkest days.  I have also learned over time that the direction of my life may have seemed correct, but if not for an unexpected interruption, I would not have learned that at times I was just going through the motions and living for the benefit of family, finances, fear, convenience, comfort, etc.  Now I wake up every morning living an "intentional" life.  One filled with goals that define ME, not who people expect me to be.

I have had my share of adversity and have reflected many times on how my life might have turned out if certain things had not occurred. Growth for me comes from acceptance and understanding not "What ifs?"  I cannot move forward if I am always wondering about the what ifs.  I cannot heal if I wish for a past event to have turned out differently, because as we all know, none of us can change the past and we cannot reclaim that time.  So the best we can do is learn from our mistakes, embrace our experiences (good or bad), take pride in overcoming adversity, encourage others that "this too shall pass" and when you find yourself asking "Where was I?" ask yourself instead "Am I where I should be?" and go from there.

OK, where was I?  Oh yes...have a great day!

Valerie