It’s so easy to find yourself trapped inside a never-ending cycle of negativity these days. Stress and anxiety seem to have become the familiar trademarks on a journey that so many people feel they have no control over.
It is very worrying; more so because it’s almost impossible to find a way to step back from it and reclaim a sense of who you used to be before it all became such an uphill struggle.
Life has lost its sense of mystery and wonder. We have lost our sense of self, of who we are, of what we mean to ourselves.
It is as though we no longer recognise ourselves because we feel surgically attached to an endless routine that we can’t break out of. It’s difficult to sleep because the problems we just can’t seem to solve are never far from our thoughts. We worry about children, jobs, relationships, and money to pay a never-ending list of important bills. Unfortunately, the single most important aspect of our lives that becomes overlooked and neglected is our health.
I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder called Multiple System Atrophy in 2018. It is a progressive and incurable neurological illness. Since then I have undergone huge changes in my life. Of course I wish I didn’t have to go through them, but ironically it is not affecting my outlook.
Or maybe I should say that I am not allowing it to affect my outlook. My sense of humour hasn’t changed. I still laugh as much as I can, and continue to live my life to its fullest. Everything is changing, except my mind, which has stayed sharp. But I work hard on keeping everything within the day.
No darkness lasts forever. Life is precious and shorter than we realise. Life is so unique and amazing. It lives on in our love for others, if they can open themselves to it, and can be remembered always and recalled in a way that only open hearts will know.
Real living has nothing to do with technology. We surround ourselves with the latest gadgetry we can afford in order to feel connected to a world that ironically leaves us feeling more alone and on our own than we have ever felt before.
Technology carries a high price if we begin to believe it can serve all our needs. It can’t come anywhere close. Despite its many benefits and its ability to keep us connected, modern technology has isolated us from real living.
It is easier to text than to talk. Valuable words and emotions are reduced these days to a simple screen emoji, when often such words spoken at the right moment give rise to valued reflection. Inner reflection waters the seeds of inner growth and belonging. Everyone needs to know they truly belong. That feeling is more important than anything else.
Enjoy every minute of what life offers. Never forget that time and space is all we have. It’s easy to surround ourselves and fill that important space we call life with distractions; but that space is all we have, and none of us knows how much time we have left before that space is taken away forever.
There are times when the journey of life takes us down a difficult, hard road that we could never have imagined before. It is usually then that we realise we have to look deep inside ourselves in order to find the strength we need to lift us to a level of hope that will sustain us through the dark times.
Sometimes it can become so difficult that we want to give up. But giving up can never be an option, only because the road constantly changes; often when we least expect it. Each of us is on a journey, but it doesn’t have to be a journey travelled alone.
Be YOU while you have the opportunity. Paint your own picture. Don’t waste time colouring in someone else’s. Show your love and share it every chance you get. There is a huge shortage of love out there, and the demand for it has never been so high.
Inspiration for all Seasons is a wonderful book to keep close to you, to dip in and out of, when you are searching for strength and trying to make sense of the journey you are on. It is filled with inspirational thoughts and reflections. I hope you find something here that might speak to you especially if your spirit might need a lift.
Keep strong and positive, even when you don’t believe you can, and keep doing anything and everything that makes you feel better. Never doubt the courage within if you listen to your true self.
Gareth O’Callaghan
September 2020