Look, Find, Smile
(Originally posted 7/2014)
I don't often publicly share anything about this, but the period of about 2006-2011 was a time of intense, heavy stuff that went down in my life and caused pain and heartache I did not know was possible to experience, let alone endure. I'm a believer in not airing dirty laundry, no matter how badly someone or something does you wrong, but some of that pain had to do with marital struggles, separation, divorce, having my children unjustifiably ripped away from me, professional setbacks, being beyond broke, and much more.
A lot of this is stuff I'm still dealing with today but the point of posting this photo is that if you look around and get outside of yourself by serving other people and appreciating what God has put in your surroundings, you can get through ANYTHING. And when I say 'get through', I don't mean just barely survive with a crappy attitude. I mean THRIVE in the midst of affliction and actually become a better person for having passed through it.
Views like this one are an example of how despite going through some excruciating things and having many days when I felt like I couldn't do it anymore, there was always something around me of beauty that put a smile on my face and kept me going, day to day, sometimes even moment to moment. Sometimes it was views like this, some days it was unforgettable surf sessions (no shortage on the west side!), sometimes it was spiritual experiences too personal to share. The key is to look for these! Because whatever you look for - in people, in situations, in life - is precisely what you'll find. I'm glad I found beauty like this, more often than not!