I’m often asked to speak on “Overcoming”. What steps does one take to overcome a difficult or painful life altering circumstance? It’s simple:
You get up.
You just make a decision to get up. It’ll hurt-as in really hurt-but you choose to get up anyway.
If you can’t get up- rest a bit. Then in a day or two, you reach out to those around you. You let them prop you up until you have the strength to stand on your own. But YOU- GET- UP. When you fall back down-and you will-you make a choice to get up all over again.
It’s not fair that this thing-whatever it is-has become a part of your story. It’s not fair this thing has taken something from you. Your innocence. Your hopes. Your dreams. Your security. Broken your heart. Altered your future. But it did. And now-fair or not-you have to answer this question:
How are you going let it define you?
Bitter? Hard? Jaded? Defeated? The easy road that is well deserved. The road you have a right to take. You’ve earned it. The road that allows you to lie down because IT HURTS!
Or will you choose to get up, despite the pain, and take the hard road. The road you should’ve NEVER had to choose. The road that doesn’t allow you to have all of your questions answered first. The road that requires toil, tears, sorrow, hard work and an uncertain place of arrival. The road that- with time- allows whatever this thing stole from you-that empty place that now exists-to be filled with a softer kind of stronger. Empathy. Compassion. Humility. Wisdom.
Which person do you want to be when it’s all said and done? Bitter or wise? Angry or Compassionate? Humble or Self Righteous in your pain? It’s up to you. Again-it’s not fair-but it is truly up to you. No one can decide what to do with your pain for you.
So-if you can. If you choose to:
-Get up when it hurts
-Get up when you’re afraid
-Get up when you’ve failed
-Get up when you’re embarrassed
-Get up when you have no hope
-Get up no matter how many times you’ve fallen before
-Just GET UP
My prayer for you, that just like a toddler learning how to walk, each time you rise, it’ll get a little easier. You’ll get a little stronger. When you fall and scrape your knee, you stay down for a bit, but you get back up. My hope for you is that someday you’ll be able to, not just walk, but run. You’ll be able to feel life again. The rhythm and the view will bring you comfort. You’ll never be the same, but you will be strong, steadfast and beautiful. Get up.
StacyPederson.com
