O-o-h Child

There was a song with that title. I always thought it was Moonchild, bu today I realized that I heard the song and was prompted to write this post for someone who will know it when they read it.

If you ask anyone what the purpose of life is, you’ll likely receive wildly different responses. The answer to this question is subjective and deeply personal. Different things are important to us throughout the course of our lives. Yet one thing stays with us no matter where we go: our experiences.

Finding ways to make the most of our experiences is a challenge that we face every day. As humans we ascribe value to the things we do. We like and need to feel that what we are doing has purpose. It’s important to find fulfillment in our relationships and careers. It's from those experiences in life that we learn and grow. In this process of pursuing what we love, we can learn valuable lessons about ourselves and the world around us.

There’s a maturity that comes with the experience of pursuing your dreams. Before you can do that, it’s important to take inventory of your priorities. What are you passionate about? What makes you feel alive? Where do your talents thrive? Not everyone values the same things or thinks the same way.

One way to live a life free of regret is to pursue those interests after you’ve identified them. Passion and drive can wither and die without actions supporting them. Time is precious. It’s common to struggle with feelings of futility when you don’t make immediate progress. We can’t choose the outcome of our actions, but we can choose everyday to keep going to pursue and never give up on life. Every day take an action, no matter how small, to achieve your goals. Build upon your momentum. Each day is a step forward.

You’ll stumble and you’ll fall, and that’s expected. I’ve taken jobs I shouldn’t have, gave my time and energy to those who were unworthy, made friends with non-supportive types who mooched, didn’t give family members enough of my love, (that one hurts the most) and moved for the wrong reasons. Though that time spent may seem like a waste, I learned a lot from those experiences. And for those who moved on from their physical body, all is not lost. I’ll get another chance when I leave this dimension. I have a friend that whenever I talk about death his response, is “Oh God.” As if death is something to dread. He hasn’t figured out that death is a transition, entering a new cycle. Nothing more, nothing less.

It takes time to stand on your own. Being authentic, building genuine connections and making true friends is a process like anything else. You might fail sometimes, but you’ll learn new ways to achieve your goals in the process.

All change begins with self. Making mistakes is the surest path to grow and gain emotional maturity. If you heed the lesson. The knowledge you gain will empower you to succeed in the future. Many of my strongest memories come from the times I’ve failed, and those lessons have stayed with me. There is virtue in failure. Time and perspective allows me to see the value of even the most painful situations And of course there is self-care and investing in myself.

Difficult and painful experiences shape our character but can also weigh us down. These frustrations burden and may prevent us from moving forward. Much of our progress in life relies on willpower and a healthy sound emotional state. There is a strong connection between physical and mental health; and for these reasons it’s important to address mental health first. If you’re under immense stress and anxiety, your body and mind both require time to heal. It’s best to rest, and slowly build back your inner and outer strength.

Too often when we are suffering, we focus only on physical remedies and can ignore our emotional health. Stigma represents a powerful obstacle toward recognizing the need for help. Remember what you’re striving for and why it is important. If you choose, find a trustworthy ear and share your frustrations. And if that’s not your way, contrary to popular opinion, that’s fine. Where did that idea come from anyway? Who says that the person your talking to knows more than you? You know your needs and desires best. I personally think talking only exacerbates the problem, take time for yourself to cry, meditate, pray and later analyze and make decisions and change will lead to a new version of you!

The best part is that tomorrow is a new day and holds promise. We all have to dream, strive, and fail before we can achieve success. Maybe we’ll discover along the way that the journey is more important than the destination.