Life is not Linear
For many, the last few weeks have been overwhelming. We were lulled into believing that things were moving back to “normal” and then, WHAM! People have had to shift quickly once again into survival mode as we juggle the newest wave of the pandemic. Hospitals, schools, and businesses have been stressed to new limits, just when we thought we had made the turn. Families are shuffling schedules and plans to accommodate another round of uncertainty.
Part of the frustration is that reality hasn’t matched our unrealistic expectations. We set ourselves up for disappointment, because we thought the pandemic was fading out. For me, it is helpful to let go of thinking that there is a straight path through all of this. Life is not linear. It’s a roller coaster ride. It’s often two steps forward, three steps back. Accepting that helps put things in perspective.
My wife often tells me, we have made it through 100% of our worst days so far. Each of those past trials gives us a broader perspective on what is important in life and what is not. I like to think of the shape of life as a spiral. What feels like moving backwards at times is actually just a normal cycle that allows us to see previous things from a new angle. Think of it like a stretched slinky. Over time, we journey back and forth multiple times, but each increment takes us to a higher perspective.
Historically, generations have endured tragedy, hardship, and challenges. Those same people also experienced joy, love, and hope. There have always been these diverse aspects in life. Our lifetime will be no different. The ups and downs will keep coming, but we have a choice on how we ride the waves. We can choose to live with unrealistic expectations and narrow mindset, or we can decide to live through the uncertainty with a foundation of hope and compassion. The thing about spirals is that while the hard times will come, they too will move on. If we are open to the lessons these situations provide, we can embrace the good times more deeply when they arrive.