I started writing inspirational poetry for people 30 years ago. It wasn’t because I was a master of the English language; it was because I heard the poems when people would tell me about things in their lives. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first. But after the first hundred you start to notice that there’s something more going on. Over the years I’ve written poems for people facing just about every challenge imaginable. I’ve seen the same themes repeat themselves. For anyone facing challenge in their life, here are 5 things I’ve found to be true for most situations.
1. You are not alone – Anything you are dealing with is also being dealt with by someone else somewhere. We live in the most connected time in history, so it’s easier to find others that are dealing with a situation similar to yours. Reach out and you will find you are not alone.
2. Others have survived this – As bad as you may be feeling about your diagnosis, breakup, or loss, you can survive this for the simple reason that others have. You may not have the tools right now but you can get them. Learn from those who have survived similar experiences and see what they did. They are out there for you to find.
3. Everything happens for a reason – This is perhaps the most difficult of the truths to accept for many people. How can there be a reason for a mass shooting, or sexual assault of a child? For many of us, it’s almost impossible to accept this. The best most of us can initially do is to accept the possibility that this is true. Even this is difficult. But if you can start to look at the world this way, you can often start making sense of things that are not easily understood. Reaching that point can make a huge difference in the way you interpret an experience and your chances of being able to move past it.
4. You are important – Most people have been told they are important by their parents, but we tend not to hear it as often as we get older. It’s easy to get lost in organizations or situations where we are just performing a function that could be done by someone else. Again, this is something you won’t see until you believe. If you start believing you are important, you will eventually find evidence to prove you are right.
5. You can make a difference – Making a difference isn’t just about importance, it is about affecting change. We are all connected so our actions invariably affect others. This truth is the flip side of the first truth and essentially completes the cycle. By realizing you can make a difference, you are now in a position to help those that are feeling alone and looking for someone to show the way.
Thank You so much Mr. Longley. Wishing you a blessed day! Darlene
I agree with the directives and may I add on?
6. And let no evil befall you; raise your cane and shield your soul with the Armor of God. Practice any form of spiritualism that you resonate with and make it a lifelong habit.
Use prayer as a weapon.
Long telomeres to u!
Challenge and change is not easy but we need to live.
No. 3. “Everything happens for a reason.” I would consider this, and I think, that we just to acknowledge what has happened to us, and of course, in life we learn every day through our experience. But I would not say really everything happens for a reason, like “a mass shooting,”or “sexual assault of a child.”
Your words are very inspiring. I am writing a term paper for a class in college and I used the citation.. I also agree with you 100%.
Glad to liked it