Tag Archives: sanity

Expect Better

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Shoot for the stars. Aim for the moon. Reach for the sky.

We rarely hear advice urging people to “play it safe,” “blend into the crowd,” or “be like everyone else.”

This is not a society or culture that celebrates mediocrity, and the sameness wrapped inside of an unexceptional existence is rarely admired, praised, or even recognized. Your ordinary, humdrum life is nothing more than white noise blending into the background of much more vibrant, sonorous, and engaging surrounding soundtracks.

Occupying a secure backseat, far away from the hustle, bustle, and hullabaloo, all but guarantees you maintain your safety and sanity. But it also promises a forgettable, monotonous, and mind-numbing humdrum journey on this galactic, ever-spinning space ride.

We all have our personal patterns, ruts, routines, and comfort zones. I am certainly no stranger to extended and often unhealthy periods of isolation and introspection. But we will do nothing but continue to gradually, steadily disappear until we pull our racing thoughts out of the shadows and take those first steps into the sunlight.

Be bold and brave and brash. Express your mind and throw away the filters. Swing at pitches well outside of your strike zone. Kick conciliation to the curb. Make a splash. Make a difference. Choose dazzle over razzle. Find the fuse and light it. Be first in line to face fear. Speak up and speak out. Don’t look or walk backward. Proudly postulate. Set an example instead of following it. Commend and befriend the smart kid in class. Volunteer to go first. Refuse any free counsel offered with a side of ulterior motives. Break stride in a single file line.

Leave your mark…and be sure it’s permanent.

Adolescence Interrupted

Keep a Torch Lit

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As I leap from one straw-grasping session to the next, I am reminded of the importance of maintaining hope in the face of adversity. I cannot continue to swim upstream against a current of unthinkable pain without a support system in place, and I will never find my way out of this cave without keeping a torch lit to reveal the path.

It’s been all snakes and spikes, pitfalls and peril, but some fuel is still available to burn. So I will compartmentalize to maintain sanity, and think of this as a puzzle to be solved, as opposed to a maze without exits. Toppling towers haven’t crushed me before, so there’s no reason to believe that they’ve suddenly become impossible to dodge.

I like my deck neatly stacked, with clean corners and even edges. I just prefer it’s not stacked against me.

The enigmatic nature of a lack of diagnosis might be the most bitter pill to swallow. My feet have gotten so cramped from staying on my toes, it’s no wonder I get knocked back on my heels. But some people ride a life of water slides and some get the rock walls. I’m digging into the crevices that barely fit fingers, and just hoping to hang on before I make another push.

A wily and unruly mind has certainly not helped slip the splinter from the skin, but it may be the only tool I have to ultimately vanquish a villain who occupies both the world of the brain and the body.

Far too many sleepless nights have been spent standing inside a conundrum, so a dawn delivering answers or optimism could be the first step toward regaining the person and personality I’ve lost.

Adolescence Interrupted