Yesterday I offered a perspective on what happens when we struggle in life. Sometimes in the process, Lives Are Shattered! That is one of the Four Givens about which I have been writing. Today, I want to present the third of the Four Givens and the third of nine Keys to Success mentioned in the introductory post.
As we begin to understand that Life is a Struggle and as a result Lives Are Shattered, we encounter a sometimes harsh reality that stands squarely in our path – Life Goes On! Not matter what happens to us, in us or around us, Life Goes On! The sun rises and sets. Our bodies demand sustenance and sleep. Responsibilities require our continued attention. Life Goes On!
The difficulty with this particular reality lies in the fat that many times we treat every experience of life as if it were permanent! We subtly assume that the way life is today is the way it will be from this point forward. At some level we understand that this assumption is false, yet our feelings, thoughts and actions often speak otherwise. Our ability to move purposefully forward in life requires that we make a perspective shift. It requires that we see all life experiences for what they are . . . temporary!
You may be familiar with a simple phrase that says, “and it came to pass.” If you are, then you likely know that this is a somewhat fancy way to say something like, “and it happened that . . . ” You know, a sort of introductory phrase in a story that leads to the main idea. What if there were another way to look at this phrase? Well, there is!
What is this new way? It goes like this: “And IT came . . . simply to pass!” IT, whatever IT is, comes into our life simply to pass on through! Nothing is permanent! Nothing! And that goes for the tough times as well as the easy! Life is ever-changing! Life Goes On! There is real power here!
Think about the last time something happened in your life to remind you of this reality.
- What was the event?
- How did you feel about it?
- How long did it last?
- When did you know it had passed through your life?
- What lesson or lessons came as a result of the event?
Life Goes On! We are powerless to stop it; however, we do have the power to act upon and within life, especially when we understand that life events are temporary and that Life Goes On!
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
