The Storm

The storm comes for everyone. Eventually.

The Calm

Do you ever feel like you are just "drawing aces," every choice you make, and every action you do just seems to be positive momentum? Everything just falls into place, and the timing is so impeccably perfect that the synchronicity of such events seem divine.

Man, those are some special times in life, everyone around you seem to be flourishing. You think to yourself: "I've actually done it, man I'm so lucky." "I've actually figured out bliss." Well, I hate to break the news, but these times of calm are not perpetual. Rather, they are fleeting. So make sure to be present in the calm, as the storm comes for everyone... Eventually.

The Rumbling

Before every grand storm there are first the deep rumblings of thunder that roll across the land like warning to take shelter, prepare for what's coming, and above all try to correct any voids that may be filled with the coming rains.

Now, of course you do have the choice to be arrogant or naive enough to believe you've already done enough to weather the coming storm. Certainly I've been guilty of such naive arrogance. More than once. I have also been found picking up the pieces and trying to sort through the rubble of my own falsehoods and truths. Trying ever so delicately to sort the trash from the treasure. It's not particularly easy to do, and nearly impossible to do with one hundred percent accuracy. Some rubbish will remain and potentially compound when the next season finds itself shrouded once again in the bluish grey of the consumption.

A better choice. Listen. Hear the storm coming, do your damndest to figure out where it's coming from. Take wisdom from those around you who have lived through many storms. They probably have so damn good advice, Glean from them so that you may see the errors in what you thought was right and sturdy. So then maybe once the storm passes there may be little rubble to sort through, and then maybe, if you pay enough attention, you'll have some wisdom of your own to pass on to those who come after you.

Personally, I am terrible at taking advice. I have this terribly annoying habit of thinking I'm right about everything. It's not only annoying to myself, but also annoying to those around me. Although for different reasons, the fact remains.

I think it's all well and good to have confidence enough in one's self to be able to stand on your own two feet and make the adjustments in your own self to nurture growth of "the self." Sometimes however, you're just to close. You need someone to say, " hey listen, you son of a bitch, you're screwing up, and this is how, and this is how I know!"

This exact thing happened to me recently. Initially I felt resentment, I was thinking to myself, this person doesn't even know all the facts, and I became very angry. This was my own arrogance. I've since decided to look at it from their perspective the best that I can. Luckily I was able to look through the fog of my own pride and glean a bit of wisdom through their words. I wish I could've pulled my head out of my ass a bit earlier, because you never know when right now is just too late.

The Storm

Too late. the storm is here.

There is no denying the storm, it's a cyclical part of every life. No matter which path you chose before the storm; all there is to do now is brace yourself and wait it out. If you're like me and want total control over what happens in your life; well then the waiting really sucks. As one of my good friends often says, "embrace the suck."

During the storm there will be some very scary times, there will be moments when you will confront the most grotesque versions of yourself. Be ashamed, shame is necessary for growth, but only if you can admit that it's toxic to you as a whole. Like the dead leaf of a stem passing its toxins into the plant's other extremities must be clipped to prevent the spreading. You too, need to prune the dead leaves of your soul so that you may be transformed by the storm; instead of becoming a victim of its relentlessness. For your extremities are not just your own, they reach out and touch those around you. Unless you enjoy loneliness, you don't want to be the poison of the ecosystem. Yes, glean again from the storm so you may be the antidote for those who come after.

To reiterate, the darkest time of one's life is the storm itself, it is absolutely crucial to confront one's self and be illuminated in the truth of each lightning strike. Be honest with yourself, be ashamed for the moment, be critical of your own faults. Go through the storm head first! Only then, will you make it through.

Clearer Skies

The sun will shine again. As assuredly as the storms will come so will the clear blue sky expose it limitlessness once again. Do your best to remember this in the darkest and coldest part of the storm. The sun will once again warm your skin. You will inhale the fresh cleansed earth with each breath, and you can look around at what the storm has left behind in its wake. Begin sorting, look inside yourself for what stood against the raging wind and rains. Take inventory of the damage and make a plan for the repairs. right as many wrongs as you can. Fortify the fortress of the protector so that you may be valuable.

Be steadfast and Vigilant in this time of calm and bliss. Be joyous in it and soak it in, but keep an ear to the ground. listening for those low rumblings, so that the next storm that comes is more bearable for you and those around you. Don't become too flippant, because the storm will return.. eventually.

Thank you everyone for reading, I know it's been a long time.

much love,

Average Benjamin.