Entry #20: You Can’t Go Up Until You Grow Up!

Are you going through something so painful that you think you can’t take one more day of the suffering? I am. It really hurts. I just turned 50 years old this year. Suffering in life is a gift because the hard times that you and I have lived gives us experience. 

 Read this and think of all that you have been through. Here are some questions to answer:

1. Are you more compassionate as a result of the hard times? How?
2. Have you learned to be peaceful no matter what is happening around you because your lived experience has shown you that getting upset doesn’t change your circumstances?
3. Have you gained wisdom over the years because of the painful times in your life? If so, where do you see it show up in how you conduct yourself now versus when you were younger?
4. How has your lived experience shaped you in choosing your career? If so, how have the hard times given you skills that benefit your colleagues?
5. What skills do you have due to the suffering that you have been through? You could say that you and I have graduated from the school of life. I encourage you to make a list and keep it in a diary or on your computer to print. If you are really struggling right now, it might be beneficial to post this list in your bathroom, car and beside your bed. On a day that you are discouraged or feel like having a pity party, you can refer to it to remind yourself that you’re learning from your suffering.

Important! Learn from my mistake. Let yourself gain the experience and heal. I stepped out too soon to help others when I wasn’t ready. If a tree doesn’t grow deep roots into the earth first, it will fall over because the branches are too heavy. The roots create stability. 

Remember! Pain + Experience = Wisdom and Stability. It requires you to be vulnerable and seek out support. This is not easy, but living with this humility is the only path to the life you deserve.

 

Stephanie Preston creates powerful, humorous videos on managing bipolar disorder symptoms. She is a Social Service Worker, Health Care Aide and suffers from severe bipolar depression herself. She is the proud wife of St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston, loves being a grandma and is Crossfit obsessed. Follow her at www.tiktok.com/@bipolaronthebrain and www.facebook.com/bipolaronthebrain.