It was a crisp autumn morning and I was driving to meet a client and the fog rolling off the river was really hindering my vision. I felt a bit uneasy, didn’t feel safe, and the path forward seemed very unclear.
If cars and trucks did not have their lights on, it was very hard to see them.
At times it was hard to see anything other than the road right in front of me.
And that fog got me thinking about how difficulties in our lives can set it just like the fog and cause all kinds of issues, but it can also help us to learn lessons too.
And because I am an Inspirationista, I thought I would share a few of those life lessons, the foggy morning revealed to me:
It Makes It Difficult to See
When it is foggy outside, it is very hard to see.
Sometimes, it is impossible to see anything.
Everything in the background seems to disappear.
And we are lucky to see the road in front of us.
So if we want to move forward, we are forced to slow down and must proceed with caution.
The same is true in life.
When we are given a diagnosis or have lost a loved one, or have lost our jobs, everything else in the picture around us seems to have disappeared for a while and all we can do is try to see what is directly in front of us and take the next step. We are forced to slow down as charging through could cause real harm to ourselves or others.
It Causes Confusion
When we are in a fog, we can be moving forward, but we don’t always know where we are.
We can’t see what is around us. The way is not clear and it can be confusing to our brains.
It literally forces us to move slower.
This is the same thing when it comes to grief and loss.
There is even a term for it, brain fog, or grief brain.
When you have had something tragic happen in your life, your brain is so busy trying to make sense of the senseless right now and keeping you alive, it has a difficult time trying to do all the other things it usually does too.
Your world has just suddenly changed, without your say. Your brain is confused, your heart is heavy, your body is exhausted and it is a natural and normal part of the process.
It Leads Us To Trust or Have Faith
The fog always lifts.
And when it does, it will most likely reveal a beautiful sunny sky.
When you are dealt a difficult chapter in life and the fog sets in, it makes it next to impossible to see further than right in front of you.
It can feel scary, you can feel alone, and sometimes it might even feel like you can’t even move. But I want you to keep this phrase in mind: “this too shall pass”.
Nothing stays the same and everything in life is changing every day.
Trust that the fog or your pain and suffering will lift (it always does).
And have faith that the sun will shine again and you can feel joy again.
And know that this difficult chapter, once you move through it, can lead to living a most beautiful life.
If it happened for me, I know it can happen for you too.
Sherrie Dunlevy- #Inspirationista, is a best selling author, speaker, podcast host. She is also the founder of the the “Graduating Grief Academy” and online support community.
Sherrie is on a mission to help grieving people step out of pain and step into living with purpose passion and joy.
Join the Graduating Grief positive support community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gradgrief
To find out if you are ready to graduate from the pain of your grief, take the free quiz.
To order a copy of her best selling book “How Can I Help?” go to SherrieDunlevy.com/author.
To invite Sherrie to speak at your next event, conference or to book a “How Can I Help?”- Workshop at your business, hospital or school, contact Sherrie at SherrieDunlevy@gmail.com