Life's Journey

Like most of you, I've been on this journey called life for quite a while now. I am amazed by how little I have figured out and how life is filled with so many surprises. I've been to different places from Africa to Asia to America and the more I'm exposed to a different culture, the more I am humbled and enriched by the experience. Life's journey is one we have all undertaken since birth as human beings on this planet. It is a human journey that we all share. Regardless of our color or where we come from, we all are created in the likeness of our creator, God, to experience life here on earth. I ponder on my journey a lot. Why am I here? What is my life's purpose? Why am I going through this or that particular situation? I am learning that at the core of my existence, there is a push and a pull, a struggle between love and fear.

When I was younger, I used to think if I could overcome this obstacle and accomplish that goal, then I would be happy; I would be satisfied. So, with this belief in mind, I worked hard to accomplish my goals and found measured joy and satisfaction in my accomplishments. It felt good until I realized that I needed something more. This quest is ongoing. Yet I see a pattern. When one need is fulfilled, there pops another one. When one goal is accomplished, another goal starts to form in my mind. So, my belief that I would be happy when I have this or that is no longer as believable or as convincing as I see myself go through this cycle over and over again. I realize there has to be more to life.

I have had my share of heartache and heartbreak. I have also been fortunate to have had many more blessings in my life that filled my heart with gratitude. In all my ups and downs, I have found that joy has nothing to do with my circumstance, but with my attitude towards life. It's not so much what I go through in life, but how I view my situation. How I feel about my circumstance determines whether I will have joy and peace or chaos and turmoil in my life. It sounds like a cliche, but as they say the glass is either half full or half empty depending on how you view it.

As humans, I have learned that we are not as helpless as we sometimes like to think. Whether we come from money or poverty, we still have a choice. Whatever our life circumstance, we all make choices everyday. So many of our choices are automatic, guided by our habits; and some of our choices are made with more deliberation. But consciously or unconsciously, we are constantly making choices. Our choice can be as trivial as what to wear or as profound as what path to take at any point in our life. This realization that I have a choice regardless of what I am facing in life has brought so much freedom into my life. It elevated the dread of having to face adversity and brought patience even when I don't fully understand why I had to go through what I am going through.

The freedom to choose is empowering. This empowerment also brought me some enlightment. Now I know I am not a helpless victim. I always have a choice in the matter. I can choose love over fear. I can choose forgiveness over holding grudges. I can choose peace over chaos.

I am learning...........I am growing.