Pathwalking 94
You are stronger than you realize.
I am not talking about your physical strength here. I mean that you are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually stronger than you realize.
Every day we deal with tests of our strength. Some are rather minor and simply inconvenient – traffic on the way to work, the line at the grocery store, unruly clients on the phone, family members trying our patience.
Some, though, are fairly large and complicated – accidents causing serious injury, bankruptcy, divorce, serious illness and death. These will stretch you to the point where you consider the limits of your strength to be.
But the only limits to your strength are set by you. Yes, it really is that simple.
This is extremely important to Pathwalking. The unwavering belief and faith in your own path requires not only conviction, a healthy sense of self, gratitude, intention and hope…but strength. Strength to face the unexpected turns, challenges, and bumps in the road inherent in life.
I could choose any number of overused, cliché platitudes here. But they are merely words, and words are just the expression of the idea, not the action or feeling behind it.
Back in the year two-thousand, I had suffered a major accident. I’ve discussed it previously, but these particular points bear mentioning here: I was told it would be one-three YEARS before I might walk again, and once I did walk again, it would be with a permanent limp. I was told I may or may not regain total use of my right arm, but I might have permanent limitations with it.
I was presented with limits. I was told how things would likely be. I did not for an instant, however, accept this. I believed that I was stronger, that I was more able and more capable than the doctors knew. I would push my strength past the limits I was given, and I would accept nothing less than total recovery.
Seven months after my accident, I was walking again. Around a year after it, I had regained total use of my right arm. I do not walk with a limp. Unless I show you my scars, or tell you the tale of the tragedy that occurred, you would have no knowledge that I was ever injured.
I was stronger than I believed I might be. I was stronger than anyone else believed that I might be. And I pushed, and I prevailed. One of the reasons I have created Pathwalking, to be frank, is to recapture that drive, to renew that same energy, passion, and strength I had all those years ago. If I can make my body heal faster and more completely than was expected mainly through the strength of my mind, my belief, and my spirit, then I should be able to have the strength to tackle any other obstacle or challenge that comes my way.
Big surprise, this is not easy! But life is so very much bigger than the small places in the world we occupy. The world is full of wonder, possibility, and opportunity. We can have, we can be, we can do virtually anything we put our minds to – but we have to believe that we are even stronger than any limits we see.
My potential is only limited by my own actions, inactions, and imagination. When I do not believe, do not KNOW that I am stronger than I realize, I get mired in the mundane. I am my own worst enemy, my own greatest critic, my own deepest skeptic. And I know I am not the only one with this issue.
You are stronger than you realize. Unless you give in, unless you accept limits, unless you impose limitations upon yourself, unless you let outside influences tell you who you are, what you can be and do, you ARE stronger than you realize. Nothing and no one can stop you from choosing your own path to walk UNLESS YOU LET THEM.
There are days when this seems impossible. There are days where no matter how much strength you use, how much you endure, how far you go, you will feel that you have reached your limits. You will feel your strength has given out, you have nothing left to give, and you need to give up and move on.
But if this is the path you desire, if you know what you are choosing, and what you want with that choice, then you HAVE the strength to push through this moment. Because you are stronger than you realize. You are more powerful, more empowered, more capable, my able to handle anything and everything that comes your way. It does not matter who you are, if I know you or not, it does not matter where you are, what you are, have, or will be enduring…you are stronger than you realize. Know this. Accept this. And use this to your advantage.
You ARE stronger than you realize.
This is the ninety-fourth entry in my series. These weekly posts are specifically about walking along the path of life, and my desire to make a difference in this world along the way. Thank you for joining me.
The first year of Pathwalking is available in print and for your Kindle.
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