Expectations

 

I have gone through some adversity in my life.  Deaths of friend far too young to be taken from the world.  Monumental boughts of future-crushing underachievement.  Shattered young love.  Fights.  Insecurity.  Depression. Rage.  I have experienced all of this and much more.  
But I am far from unique in this facet of life.  Everyone has gone through some pretty tough times, in the end I am lucky and privileged to be where I am today.  It’s probably safe to assume that someone say in Africa or other third world countries, probably has gone through way more than I have in my 20 years.  But this is not the point I’m trying to make. 
Life throws obstacles in your path.  It always will.  That is the nature of the beast.  Maybe you’ll be riding a high for quite some time, but inevitably hardships will arise.  It doesn’t matter how rich, how famous, how powerful, or how beautiful you are.  Some time or another, you will stare adversity in the face.  Some will raise up and conquer it, while others will spiral down into the depths of despair.  That’s just the way it goes.  
I used to think of life as a smooth path, a straight road leading to happiness and success.  But along the road, obstacles would keep popping up. Road blocks.  Bad weather conditions.  Potholes.  Traffic jams.  My perfect road would always seem to have its problems that I could not avoid.  And I would not deal with these problems well.  
I was expecting a straight shot to my destination, but when caught in a traffic jam, I would fly into a bout of road rage.  I could be flying down my figurative road, passing cars left and right.  But then I’d get pulled over.  The roads shouldn’t be like this!  There’s no reason I should have ran into this obstacle!  But this past weekend, I realized something.  The road of life is not a straight shot.  It’s one messy road. There are twists and turns everywhere.  Bad road conditions happen all the time.  Life is not some straight shot freeway you can ride on cruise control.  And now, here’s the kicker!
Hard times are not obstacles that get in the way of life.  Hard times ARE part of life. It’s so simple.  I don’t know why I never thought of life like this before.  

Adversity is bound to get in the way of your plans.  But instead of whining about it or letting my negative emotions get the best of me.  I will know that whatever life throws my way, it’s not as unexpected roadblock.  It’s simply part of the journey.