By: Tamika L. Morrison
I’m coming off another week full of twists and turns, a calendar that seems to grow in size by the second and with a few surprises I’d rather not have. Still, I realize the importance of reflecting on the very fact that in all of this daily living, I must always remember, I only have one life to live and I must choose to live my best life, no matter what and even when it feels less than its best.
With that said, I must confess – I experienced my fair share of disappointment this past weekend, it was sprinkled in with some great accomplishments – a real oxymoron.
You know, disappointments can be hard to shake. At times it seems with all my ‘success’ comes a little dose of disappointment every now and again that try to knock me off my focus. The emotion, overwhelming, tempts me to wallow in my pain, my past and what has seemed to be a setback. But I am reminded, those disappointments are purposeful, even when it doesn’t feel that way.
I can’t complain much, I have much to be grateful for! I experience big and little miracles daily! As I embarked on another milestone in training for the marathon I’m running for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on Sunday – doing a record 12 miles! I took that moment to feel that accomplishment through and through. I didn’t want to forget that feeling, it was powerful. Oftentimes we do something great, make ourselves proud and then quickly move on to the next. Not taking a pause to feel that moment of accomplishment or taking a moment to feel the miracles happening, making the memory an afterthought and a moment we cannot reclaim.
It was an amazing journey yesterday– just like all of my life – though my legs were aching and my mind wanted to give in during the last stretch, the reminders were: The humongous turtle I saw trekking across my path to get to the other side of the river. The male Cardinals, bold in color and personality chasing their mates in the wind. The geese boldly strutting, claiming their territory, even along the tree-lined streets as cars cruised by. The black snake wiggling his way through the grass, but not without an audience of the “Oooooh’s” and “Ahhhhhh’s” we belted as he withered away and even the dead rattlesnake I passed as I rounded on the 9th mile. I’d never seen nature so bold without visiting a museum – it was beautifully amazing. And it inspired me to keep on keepin’ on.
When I got the calls that brought some disappointment to me over the weekend, for a moment, well, maybe like a few hours, I was saddened, resentful and in pain. I replayed the events of my past like one of my favorite movies, as I recalled play-by-play every other time I’d felt this way and been let down. But I was reminded by reflecting on words of encouragement and inspiration I experienced as well as by those who help me see a different of perspective when I so badly need one that “Disappointments are really blessings in disguise,” is what author and cousin of mine, Mary Anna Neal Bradley says in her book, “A Legacy of Inspiration” and Oprah reminds me to choose to “Live my best life!” and finally, Ralph Marston couldn’t have said it better:
You are going to have a lot of disappointments along the way. The harder you try, the more disappointment you’ll have. But that’s no reason not to try. Because if you persevere, you will have success. You simply can’t let the disappointment get to you. You can’t allow yourself to become discouraged, to feel rejected, to quit. You must get your motivation from within yourself. You must have a vision and a dream that is big enough to stand up to the setbacks that come your way. You must find a reason for what you’re doing, and constantly remind yourself of that reason. If you can do that, you’ll make yourself bulletproof to all the setbacks and disappointments. – Ralph Marston
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