Laughing on the Rollercoaster
Let me tell you a little about myself. I am by definition a failure and a success. I have dropped out of college. Twice I have been homeless. I have been in car crashes. I have had my lights, water, heat, phone and cellphone cut off. I have been jobless. I have been fired. I have been broke. I have been without healthcare. I have been close to divorce. I have had my car repossessed. I have had no car. I have felt like, "i don't know what to do". I have been on welfare. I have been lonely. I have experienced the death of loved ones. I have failed classes. I have broken bones....had my heart broken...been hungry. I have been angry. I have been blind with cataracts and once with chemical burns to my eyes. I have had my bank account seized. I have had to stand in line for free Christmas gifts for my kids...school supplies...even cheese. I have cried. I have had failed businesses(yes, plural). I have seen death. I have been hopeless and helpless....but I am still here. I am a success. I consciously decide DAILY to find something to smile about and to consciously make someone else smile. I have learned to embrace my "failures" as the steps to my success. I LOVE them. They have taught me that I am a survivor. That we all are. I ride the roller coaster of life with my hands up on the way up....and also on the way down...and while i'm on the downward part of the "ride", I make sure to look forward for the part where the "ride" starts climbing upwards again. I say this, because I know that a lot of my friends probably feel like their "failures" are endless. That they cannot see anything beyond the dip that they are in...but that's not how the roller-coaster (life) is designed. You may be on that ride with the super deep plunge...but the ride ALWAYS rises...if only for a moment. If only to throw you into a "loop" or another dip. It will rise. The key is, ride the roller-coaster. Don't let the roller-coaster ride you. Every day I laugh...because a long time ago, I decided that things and situations will not control my mood. I took the power back from the things that could control if I "had a bad day" or not....because, I finally realized that, I cannot control the intangible. I can only control how I choose to react to things. I laugh...
1 comment
Thank you so much for this blog post! I have not been on the site in a while, but something drew me to check out your blog. This is exactly what I needed to read today. To look at where you are now, I would never have guessed that any of this blog would be a part of your background story. We never know what someone else has gone through. Most of the time, we see our own pain and problems.
I’ve been off social media for the most part for a while. Because of my job and things I have to get done, like gardening and fixing the house during the summer months, and taking care of my son, I don’t even get the time to watch your live videos. In November, I had to close my reselling business because my best friend and business partner passed away. We had all the inventory stored at his place. I no longer have access to any of the items. But I know that God is in control and I plan to start up again. Just not now because it is not the right time, and it is painful for me.I watched your video today and learned that you had a loved one pass away as well. Our thoughts and prayers go out for you and your family during this time. God bless you! Just wanted to leave a message here to say, "Thank you for being an inspiration. My son and I are enjoying your past cooking videos, and they help us to cope and see some brightness and happiness in our days!”
You are a success!! And don’t you ever forget that. Your spice blends are the best I’ve had, and I need to restock again soon.