Bree and I moved to Asheville in October of 2020. We were both so excited to start a new life adventure and explore a new area of the world. Things were going so well--we both found work and we were already creating unforgettable memories. But all good things must come to an end, or take a brief pause, at the very least.
Just a couple of months after we got to Asheville, I was happily driving down the road when out of nowhere a truck going 40 mph slammed into the back of my car. Luckily, no one was injured; but in that instant, everything we had going was put on pause. My car ended up taking $18,000 worth of damage and was declared totaled. I spent what seemed like thousands of hours on the phone dealing with insurance companies. I lost thousands of dollars on my car. I missed several work opportunities because I didn't have a winter-friendly car to get around (the rental car place gave me a sports car. It was a great car and fun to drive, but not practical for snow and ice).
This is exactly why we train for life.
This is why we force ourselves to get out of our comfy beds in the morning. This is why we take cold showers. This is why we read every day. This is why we exercise. This is why we follow a diet. This is why we practice discipline every day.
These daily challenges prepare us for when shit hits the fan.
Life can suck sometimes and there will always be bad days, weeks, months, and years. Jim Rohn once said, “Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.”
One of my best friends once told me that life is about storms. We're either leaving a storm, about to enter a storm, or we're currently in a storm. Where are you right now? What is your storm?
You’re gonna have car trouble. Your dog is gonna get fleas and worms and you have to pay for vet bills (this actually happened to us just a few days before my car was totaled). You’re gonna have rent due and not have enough money to pay it. Some unexpected event will happen that will totally put your daily routine on hold.
Although these times are unpleasant, these are the moments when we grow as people. These are the times when businesses are created... where once-in-a-lifetime ideas are born. This is where you find out what kind of person you really are. This is where you can either give up and quit or persevere and come out stronger than ever. It's your choice.
We can use these hard times as learning lessons. Was it something you could have avoided? What could you have done differently? Look at the glass half full. Look at the good that will come out of this shitty day. ask yourself what you gained from this struggle.
Like a famous country music song once said, “The bad times make the good times better.”
If we didn’t have rain, then we wouldn’t appreciate those sunny days. Embrace the bad times. Know that the storm will pass and everything is temporary. However, don't forget to prepare for the inevitable storm that is sure to come.
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