I had “a moment” recently with a client who had been referred to me.

After a particularly intense session, I had shared a song with her that I believed encapsulated her new mission: Diana Ross’ timeless classic, “It’s My Turn.”

I let the song do the talking—to reinforce a new mantra that was so needed in her life. She had already survived so much. It was now time for her to thrive.

“Thank you, Donna for saving me, my sanity,” she would tell me after listening to it. “Thank you so much for your amazing work to get me where I needed to be. I know the song, but listening now means more to me. It is for me. I cried listening to it and feeling every word giving me confidence moving forward…”

I share this not to extoll my virtues but in profound gratitude that, most times, I am simply a bridge.

That said, I remind clients with some regularity, that the purpose of a bridge is not for the view — no matter how enchanting or comforting — but to get across to the other side. Indeed, it is important to recognize when we are stuck. Many times, a job, a relationship, or a particular season in life was meant to be just that — a bridge to a different stage of life, a new way of thinking, expanded horizons and new opportunities. And wisdom involves knowing in your heart when to move on, when something no longer serves your best interests, while remembering that courage is not an absence of fear, but the determination to act in spite of it. The misery we feel in spiritual paralysis is not meant to be a permanent condition.

In the world we live today, an ordinary life has become synonymous with a meaningless life. But nothing could be farther from the truth. The majority of us live ordinary lives, not because we are ordinary. The circumstances of life can be overwhelming, and real success is as much about what we have accomplished as what we’ve overcome.

Yet, that “still, small voice” is not quiet. It has the capacity to transform a tiny seed into something greater and is always moving us toward that end. No matter how long the period of dormancy, growth — either in its physical or spiritual manifestations — is the conclusive evidence of being alive. And whether we like it or not, life will crack us wide open through circumstances in which we have no other option but to step out in faith — and grow.

People who are stuck — just like misery — love company, and you can spot them easily because they like to remind you about who you “used to be.” Stay mindful of the entrapment. Feel no guilt to step outside your “10 city blocks.” Everyone grows at their own pace. We can never control what others do and say. We can only control what we do, our reactions, and how we purpose to live our lives and love. Look to the Source of All Life for the answers and insights regarding why you are here. Then get on with it — without excuses. Stop being afraid to live. Life is worth the living. You are not waiting on “that thing”. That thing is waiting on you.

Carpe diem…Yes, Seize the day!

© Donna Kassin 2022.
All Rights Reserved.