"When you hit an obstacle, do not mourn it...because it provides growth opportunities."1 This was a line from an Apple+ series called WeCrashed. It made me burst into tears because I resonated with the sentiment. I decided to use it as the introduction I needed to jump back into utilizing my blog. When I started my blog, which I did because I wanted to change my life, I hit problem after problem and talked a LOT about setbacks, barriers, hitting 'the' wall, and hurdles (etc.). I couldn't understand why the universe was handing me so much flack! But it did. Every time I tried to get up, it seemed to push me back down again.
Recently, however, I have had a great epiphany. You see, I named my blog About Faith because I wanted to turn my life around. It was a play on the phrase 'about-face,' the definition of which was actually the byline for my blog: "NOUN, A REVERSAL OF ATTITUDE, BEHAVIOUR, OR POINT OF VIEW." Well, I can tell you, as it turns out, when trying to change your life, it is actually 100% ABOUT actually having FAITH!!
It's about having faith not only in yourself, but in the process of birthing something new, as well. It is about having faith, even when everything goes wrong. It is also about trusting in a higher power. That's why the above quote hit me so hard. I realized that those setbacks, hurdles, and barriers, are placed there----brace yourselves---to help us grow. Not just to help us grow, however. They are there to also teach us what we needed to know. Perhaps also, to rearrange our timing to match God's timing. And also, many other reasons that are undetectable to our human psyche, but amply clear and apparent to God, the universe, the higher power---whatever you call this entity, it has everything under control. Believe me. Now About Faith has a new meaning. It means trusting the process, myself, and the universe, even if things go wrong. It is about FAITH as a verb, not a noun. Believing in yourself is an action, it is action, it is an act of FAITH. You can overcome.
How I Came to See the Light
My whole blog thus far, if you've read it, has been all about understanding the obstacles that pop up when trying to climb out of the ruts we are stuck in. (I know not everyone is stuck...but I sure was) It is also about those ruts, like debt and trauma and clutter and ill-health. As I began to try (with my own mite) to "turn my life around" I just kept falling back into the ruts. It was messy and uncomfortable, and I felt like a failure, especially after the swimming incident where I reacted to something in the environment and my health deteriorated and I was sick for months. That happened at the end of August, 2021. SO, at the end of August, 2022 I decided to do the exact same thing again. This time, I hoped for better results however. It turned into an epic do-over.
I got all ready for a swimming day and then set off very early to beat the crowds. I drove the same route, but the road, (the one in the picture above) which was a main thoroughfare -- was closed! I took a detour, saw a unicorn (inflatable -- not an actual unicorn -- lol), took that as a sign, and just kept going -- for four months...
So for four months I went on an epic adventure traversing my province, and intending to go far beyond. I had been planning this for a long time. Years. I studied YouTube videos by, about, and for people who did vanlife, car camping, and SUV living, so when the opportunity arose, I took the leap!
Still, it was not always easy, but rather an adventure filled with learning opportunities in the form of setbacks, obstacles, and hurdles. Nevertheless, I have found a way forward within my ruts and holes, which were difficult to surmount, but gave me the grit I need to keep fighting to overcome. I began to see life differently. There's nothing wrong with climbing a mountain or even a mountain range. Life is a rollercoaster filled with ups and downs. We just have to keep our faith, even in the valleys and dips, and ride it out without losing hope. I have faith
in myself and my own process, but I now understood that all the things that popped up that were difficult, were actually rare opportunities for me to learn, and grow, and evolve...
The trip also seemed to help me with some important issues. One issue was going to see my doctor. Somehow I equated in my mind: Doctor=bad. I dunno. But, living in my SUV did something. Because I just went. I had a physical...and the follow-ups to some tests back in 2020, and found out a bunch of stuff that I need to tackle. (but that's another post altogether!)
More on that later. For now, I'm glad to be back. I hope you will join me as I resume sharing this journey.
Take care,
Faith
Footnotes:
1 Apple TV+, WeCrashed, Season 1, Episode 4, 47:20-47:26
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