I was listening to the radio and this comedian was getting serious about some of the failures and successes of his career. He talked about how Hollywood tried to shut him out and compared it to being attacked by a dog:
(Rough paraphrase)
It’s like what they say about being attacked by a dog. You can’t run, you can’t tug your way free. If a dog bites your hand, you can’t pull away. You have to shove your hand deeper inside the dog’s mouth so the dog will open its mouth wide enough for you to pull your hand free.
This sounds stupid until you think about it. If something has you trapped or makes you feel like you’ll be defeated, do not try to retreat. Press forward. Press harder. Until they have no choice but to let you in and to let you do what you were put on this earth to do.
I got laid off late last year and it felt like a huge roadblock got tossed in my path, just as I was picking up steam. I tried to put on a brave front for everyone, and truthfully, I did feel confident, but I’d have those days where I’d have a big ol’ pity party, wondering how I was going to take care of my family.
It reminded me of when I was pregnant with my first, when I was unemployed and in school and had no real way to provide for the kid I was about to give birth to. Back then, it felt like my arm was trapped inside a dog’s mouth and it just wouldn’t let go.
Who did the dog represent? Society. All the stereotypes. All the negatives statistics that escaped anyone’s mouth as soon as you mentioned “unplanned pregnancy.” All the people who looked at me differently when they saw I was sporting a baby bump.
I hated feeling trapped. So I pushed forward.
I studied harder – graduated magna cum laude. I saved my money – bought a house. I worked my butt off building this blog and the corresponding community.
I got the dog to release its grip on me. No longer am I afraid of what other people may think or how something may seem. I’m living my OWN truth now. And it feels great.
From reading the e-mails you all send me, it’s so apparent that you want to shake the dog off you too. You want to go through life unburdened. Sometimes the dog is an off-again, on-again relationship that just can’t get right; other times it’s a desire to push the fast-forward button on school so you can hurry and get a job that covers all your bills and then some. Sometimes the dog is just a nagging feeling that you’ll never get exactly where you want to be.
But I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t retreat. You shouldn’t let fear drive you away. Take a deep breath and press forward, even if you’re scared or anxious or not sure it’ll work. Trust me – it WILL work and you’ll come through with valuable lessons learned and fewer battle scars.
Just keep pressing forward.
I got shivers reading this. Really. Just press forward is the word for the week, month, year. I remember those same exact feelings. I remember feeling so trapped in certain situations that it felt like I was going to explode. I remember feeling so low sometimes that I thought “just kick me while I’m down, why not?” But I also remember a quote that I read once. It was so good and so true — “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of the hard work you already did.” Word!
.-= Alicia @Mommy Delicious´s last blog ..Psyched Pumped Ready =-.
You are an inspiration dear. We have thesame story, its so amazing just how much we have in common. I think you are right – we need not back down, we need not accept what life has handed us. Much of what makes us come alive is our ability to challenge the status quo, achieve the impossible and enjoy a rewarding life. Graduating, buying a house, inspiring blog? You have done it all….and it takes a fool not to notice it. And guess what? You are not even done yet. The sky is just the beginning.
WOW!! this was for me!! I made a choice today, that will put in me a place to complete my goals. I have always half stepped in life because I was afraid of what would happen IF success happened. I was taught how to handle failure, but I was not prepared for what to do when you succeed. It’s still January I can still change what happens in my life. I’m MOVING FORWARD!
PREACH! Thank you for this. Such inspiration and encouragement!