Lifes Roller Coaster

Our lives are filled with peak and valley experiences. We experience times when we question ourselves, our beliefs, emotional times, stressful times or challenges. Welcome to life.

You will find that those consistently seeking solutions to their challenges, are happier when they are in the pursuit of their solution. Those that are not solution orientated, often wallow and whine about their circumstances, and they will seek others to commiserate with them. Hence, the "victim mentality". These folks are completely ignoring the fact that they are choosing to feel that way. I am not sure why anyone would want to be 'under the circumstances' anyway.

This article is about our valleys, not our peaks, because I find that my attitude and my future are the most vulnerable when I am in a valley. I can quickly fall into a 'pity-rut', and busy myself with distractions like comfort activities, food, non-challenging tasks, and focus on life’s clutter. Essentially put my head in the sand concerning my future.

I typically don’t immediately recognize that I am in my ‘pity-rut’, because I am seeking feelings of familiarity of my old successes, comfort, and consolation which results in me befriending complacency, once again. By the time I recognized that my focus and attitude has slipped from what I want, to what is comfortable; I am restless, unsatisfied, irritated and angry with myself and those around me. Angry because I am back to where I didn’t want to regress to in the first place! I allowed my attitude to slip. I decided to take the easy road.

Each time I find myself in my 'pity rut', I recognize it faster, refocus on my goal, and race out of my valley. Am I never going to have another valley experience? No, because that is life, but I am learning to recognize and solve it faster, by serving others.

All of us struggle with recognizing our valleys, and then shifting gears and assaulting our peak one more time. You are not alone, welcome to the journey of life.