Story of My Life

Situations are changing, nothing can be taken for granted anymore.

My life right now is in turmoil, there is uncertainty ahead of me, decisions which have been forced on me. 

When my opinions do not matter and  remain stuck in my throat and cause anger to pulsate in every nerve of my body. 

I run to allow the anger to flow out of my body, signing up for a virtual challenge has helped me focus and stay sane. 

The questions I ask myself: am I right in feeling this emotion, am I being unreasonable or expecting too much?

We look for events to be grateful for, since a heart filled with gratitude, overlooks the pain. 

I dig into my past, I recollect sad, painful failures, disappointments and what helped me get through each such event.

I recollect happy occasions, trips in the past with friends, memories created with family. 

How did I get through those phases to create better moments for myself, what kind of reserve did I have in me to accept the situation and bounce back?

I talk to friends, I realise they all have a past and a present and even with the uncertainty they still look towards the future.

How each of us cope, lies within us and we all have a story to tell.

Right from the school friend whose dad died when she was young and was brought up by a single mother, she sees God in her mom.

To the college friend whose mom suffered a cancer and died during a crucial stage in her life, she grew up with her dad, learning to take care of themselves and then seeing her dad suffering a stroke, she took care of him, teaching herself how to meet his changing needs. 

To the friend who died suddenly and let her young daughters speak a story of resilience.

I learn from my personal story, seek support from others through their stories. 

The key to resilience lies in picking up the relevant bits, piecing them together and creating new life stories for ourselves. 

It matters how we write the story, do we wallow in the negativity and bitterness or look at the outcomes and the path taken to get there. 

This helps us live a life of gratitude and strength. 

I remember many years ago, while my friends and I did the Mumbai Oxfam trail walker. 

The trail was slippery, the climb steep, the path narrow with sharp rocks and overgrown bushes. Nothing during our training had prepared us for this mentally or physically.

We slipped, we sighed, we cried, laughed, pushed ahead through the pain, not knowing if or when the path would improve. 

It did and we celebrated the simple joy of facing the challenge, not giving up, surviving it to tell our story. 

Being cheerful and optimistic always is not the best way to deal with life. Face the problems, experience the painful emotions, cope with the grief, remember to be kind to yourself at each stage.

Choose the story you want to live, live the story you want the world to see. 

Your story makes me bounce back, inspires me to look ahead. 

My story can change your life someday.

Speak, Listen......