When Your Heart is Broken
Sadly, with balance there must be highs and lows. We strive to set ourselves up for success in all areas but, at the core of it all, we are all human. Life won't always be perfect, we won't always do the right thing, we won't always succeed and sometimes the unexpected curveball will be thrown. It's even more important at these difficult times, to remember that we have to get back up, carry on and aim to be better. Slowly we sill start to mend a heart that may be a little broken.
There will also be times when your heart is broken by no fault of your own. We see the world only through our own eyes. It is as we perceive it to be, not as it really is. Something I struggle with continuiously is learning that I can not expect people to treat me the way I expect them to. I have my way of approaching people, speaking to them and handling various situations - that is MY way. It may not be perfect and others might not like it. On the other side of the coin, I have to learn to deal with way people approach me, talk to me and handle me in various situations. When someone deals with us in a way that is unfamiliar it can be shocking, but we have to learn that the way people deal with us has less to do with who we are and everything to do with who they are, and what emotional state they are in.
When we are distressed it can be difficult to keep perspective. We naturally tend to laser in on the "bad thing" that has happened to us, taking focus away from all the other areas in our lives that still need our attention - family, friends, career, health. These things can all take a back seat while we are going over and over how this "bad thing" could have happened and how we are going to come back from it. I do think that a period of time to bury ourselves in what has happened and deal with all the emotions that come up is important, but eventually we have to force ourselves to lift our heads, look around and remember life is bigger and we must move forward.
I don't use the term "heartbroken" lightly. I am referring to situations that absolutely knock you. When your stomach sinks into your shoes and there is nothing you can do to hold back your tears. Hopefully this doen't happen too many times in a lifetime. When we are faced with these challenges, we must choose how they are going to shape us. It is easy for self-confidence to be crushed, egos will be bruised, strength weakened and we might just want to throw in the towel. But it is a choice. We can also choose to come out of the dark, anger, sadness or pain and glue the pieces of our hearts back together. Remember that without difficulty, happiness would not be so sweet.
