The Enemy and Inspiration For Forward Momentum

Happy Spring Solstice!

By now, most of my readers know me well enough to have ascertained the origin of Mony Strong’s relentless drive, sometimes reckless personality. Without hard facts or lengthy research, I am willing to assert that most writers imbue some part of their person in the characters they create. I lack the financial resources Mony Strong has at her disposal, which often impedes many of my personal goals. Yet, like Mony, I face other challenges that have nothing to do with money, hardships and obstacles that require perseverance and action.

Adversity exists in everyone’s live. Our success in managing it is directly related to what we do about it. The upside of our trials and tribulations is that it has a tendency to precipitate us to move out of our comfort zone. It’s a demand which requires change, providing an opportunity for growth. Most religious faiths believe personal growth helps us progress on our journey to ascertaining eternal redemption. In that way, adversity is a good thing. 

Forward Momentum

The enemy of forward momentum is self-doubt and fear which tends to lure us into a false sense of stasis, paralyzing us in one place as we sink into the quagmire of compartmentalized thinking, paranoia, negativity and the ism’s that exist in the world. It is a place where we wither and die. Not dying in a physical sense perhaps, but metaphorically as an individual in a place deep within our humanity. I witness this phenomenon daily as a nurse caring for people who have given up on themselves when faced with a chronic illness. Looking in from outside their life, it is reasonably easy to predict which patients will succeed in their treatment plan and which ones will not. The difference boiling down to one word—Attitude. My job is to nurture their success. Those who are willing to try an alternate approach, one in which they are willing to assume control in their lives will have the favorable outcome as oppose to the individual who place all their faith in an almighty pill, asserting no effort on their part to change and still expecting positive results.

Let me pause here for a moment to be clear; I am not advocating throwing away your pill boxes or suggesting that those who require medications to treat a condition is a cop-out or that the treatment approach is ineffective. Millions of people struggle with depression, mental illness and chronic medical conditions which require drug intervention. It’s quite possible that without these medications, their lives would be a living hell. What I’m talking about is hope for moving out of a survival mode status and into a realm in which we can truly grow as humans.  

Inspiration Sources For Forward Momentum

So, where does one find the spirit, the gumption to moving forward? Is it a natural talent? Are we born with it? Can it be learned? I don’t know the answer. But I have to believe if we are born with it, it abolishes any hope to those who do not poses this natural talent condemning them to a life of stagnation. That’s a picture to sad for me to conceptualize. I would never be one to shatter another’s hope and dream that one day they would be able to rise above their own adversity. Thank goodness I’m an author and I can write my own ending to the story.

Inspiration sources for forward momentum, and drive exist all around us and we can tap into these sources at any time. Music, a piece of art, a speaker at a conference or workshop, a book, personal reflection and journaling, being out in nature, talking to someone who has been through what we’re going through are some of the ways in which we can nurture our attitude and initiate forward momentum.

In Closing

Whether we like it or not, nothing stays the same. Everything around us will change. Even tradition goes through its own transformations of growth, though perhaps at a slower rate. Tradition is the foundation which help to connect learning individuals to their family and place of origin, giving them a sense of security and continuity. Keeping traditions alive is important for teaching future generations about a particular or shared past.

These teachings often involve religious practices and values all of which continue to evolve. And thank goodness, or we’d still be sacrificing humans at some stone alter or throwing virgin females into fiery volcanoes. Still at some point, the elder must release the younger out into the world and hope that the traditional lessons will provide a solid foundation as the younger builds their own set of traditions.

It’s not easy to step out of one’s comfort zone to make a change. Nor is it easy to be stuck in a situation where adversity prohibits one’s hopes and dreams of becoming a better human being. The way I see it, if I’m going to feel miserable either way, why not go for the misery that will lead toward hope of a better life. Like the tree in spring, take a chance, step out on the preverbal limb and grow.