Life Will Teach You

Life will teach you. You may decide what you learn, but learn you will.

I learned pretty early that there is a price to be paid for being different. In my current circle of friends, the fact that I couldn't carry on a five minute conversation about college football is not a big deal. When I was in the fifth grade however, in Arab, Alabama, it meant that I might as well have had a third arm growing out my butt.

I learned if you really want to reach your potential, that being an original is something to aspire to, not to avoid.

I found out that nobody avoids the hard parts, as hard as they might try. And that there are many things to be learned that cannot be truly understood without pain.

You may kid yourself and believe that you are the victim of an unfortunate mistake of God's. You might believe that if only you had been born into a different family with more money, fewer weirdos, or with Angelina's or Brad's looks that everything would be easy, but what you really learned was that life has it's pain. Even Brad's life.

The difference is where you go from there. You can learn the hard lessons and be so put off by the pain of it that you pitch a tent and hang pictures there that are little reminders of what could have been, find some friends who will do the same, and raise your "VICTIM" flag out front hoping that any other of life's difficult lesson's will move on before they decide to pay you any more visits. But all you have learned is how to tread water.

I, for one, learned to tread water, and it is a fine skill, but I've got to fly too. I want to dream beyond my capabilities. I want to reach the heights that only by the divine help of God's grace are attainable. I have no intention of pitching that victim tent. I will mourn losses, feel the pain of hurt, and cry. But I pray that after I have done that serious work, I will have the good sense to take one step at a time until I find myself soaring again. That is the life I was meant to live. Even if I have to remind myself of it every day. Even if I have to watch other people do it just to get a few hints.

I learned that the price you pay for being who God called you to be is so worth it. I would take it over the boring futility of conforming to someone else's expectations seven days a week.

Life will teach you. What have you learned?

The picture is me being an original. You need not take it that far.