We all exist in this little thing called life. One of my favorite comparisons would be viewing life as a roller coaster. A whole lot of ups and downs, changes of speed, zig zags, things you can see and expect, as well as surprises that you never saw coming. The thing about this is, each individual's life has its own roller coaster inside their own theme park. The possibilities are endless and we should never compare our lives to anyone else's, because everyone has their own level of stops, delays, and even broken parts. Who are you to say your ride is better? As well, who are you to be envious of another ride and constantly compare yours with anyone else's. If that were the case we would live in a world where everyone's ride was exactly the same. If so, I would choose not to ride at all.
Enter your roller coaster but proceed with caution and awareness
When you get on any ride, you like to know what you are getting on, or at least see it from afar. Why can't all of our lives consist of this? The thing about this is, we do not have a choice in this matter. All we can do is buckle up our seatbelts and continue with awareness. Going throughout your day, making the most of it. I do not truly believe that a single person in this world wakes up every morning and says to themselves that they hope they have an awful day. Make your life worthwhile and take that chance. If you somehow fail, get back up and try again.
The slow ride up, building anticipation, struggle and wonder
You know when the cart gets latched on to the chain to pull you up to the top, does that not honestly feel longer than the entire ride itself? Going on an uphill struggle is never fun but often necessary. Anything in this life worth any type of importance, is not truly of value if we do not struggle to attain whatever it is we are after. Blood, sweat, and tears are often the way to actually see progression and really cherish something. No one said the whole ride would be fun. Deal with it and move on.
The initial drop is not always expected
That feeling when things actually start going fast, your stomach drops and you slightly wonder if this "fun" ride is going to be the last thing you ever do. This applies to a lot of things in life. Ranging all the way back to when we were kids, crashing on our bike for the first time, getting stung by a bee on a big field, or getting bitten by a dog. You don't go into "fun" things in life expecting anything to go wrong. In yet, even in the happiest moments will go bleak in half a second.
In present time, getting a car and having payments, getting your heart broken, or venturing off by yourself. Yea finally buying that car you wanted was awesome, but you have a long line of payments up now and you must be responsible. Giving your all to that one person and then your heart gets shattered into a million pieces. Exploring the world and leaving home, only to find yourself completely lonely and vulnerable to the evil in the world. With all that being said, the roller coaster is hitting high speeds and next thing you know joy, smiling, and laughter smacks you in the face and you can't feel anything but delight. Riding that bike, being in that field, petting the dog, driving that car, loving that person, discovering the world. Weren't all of those bad moments ultimately worth it to move on with life and create new experiences, and feelings that one would not trade for the world.
Pure bliss
We have these moments in life, where our happiness is all we know and all you can feel is 100% ecstasy in that occasion. Please grasp that time because it can be taken away just as fast as it happened. The best part of the ride, where nothing can go wrong, and it is almost as though you are flying high in the sky with not a care in the world.
Coming down & slowing down, back to reality
All of a sudden life comes back into play, and it hits you. Everything you have to do in the next day, week, month. That project you have to do. That client you have to deal with. That boss that genuinely gets on your last nerve. Hold on a second though, you are still on this ride. Did you even think about how much fun you had? Did you embrace it, and cherish the moment? As humans, we are an ungrateful bunch who fail to fully appreciate the little things. No more in life do I want to do this. All of god's creations are fearfully and beautifully made, no matter how big or small. Honestly, take a breath and enjoy what you have. That person you have in the room with you right now, the electronic device you are reading this off of, and all of the good things in your life. I absolutely promise you, that your blessings are overflowing. Things could always be worse. You could not have the opportunity to take this ride in the first place. How you got to where you are right now, is miraculous and utopian.
You have to get off eventually, but they can't stop you from getting back on
When you get off your ride and step back on solid ground, perspective hits you. Suddenly everything seems insubstantial and dreary again. That may be the case. Negative emotions are a vital part of the human condition and it isn’t until we experience them that we truly appreciate the positive opposites. In other words, one needs sadness in their lives to be able to fully recognize happiness when they come across it. Without anger, we can never appreciate the calm; our hatred and indifference emphasize our love. To deprive oneself of any emotional characteristic to our nature is to deny the very things that make us human. Our minds work the way they do for a reason. A good life is a choice, but it is not necessarily given, one must take it. It is a choice to get back on that ride we call life.
Highs and lows, ups and downs in every way imaginable, what is your choice? What is your life going to be like? It's a fun ride, indeed.
