Experience

Good Morning Friends,
 
  Lately I have been really wrestling with and trying to immerse myself in the concept of viewing everything in life as experience.  The good, the bad, the mundane, and the down right heart wrenchingly painful things are all experiences.  And if we can learn to engross ourselves in them fully, I think we can learn to live more and gain from these things more.  It is as Morrie stated in Tuesdays with Morrie, "By throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely."
  People who have had a brush with death view life differently.  They view each moment as a gift, each breath as an opportunity.  They appreciate what others take for granted.  They live with a sense of wonder at the world around them.  It is ironic that one must experience death in order to truly live.  If only we could somehow learn to live like this without the trauma of some near-death experience.  But it seems in this life that we don't understand beauty without pain.  It is as if the shadows help us understand light, and because of this, we can learn to embrace the darkness, the pain, and the near-death we face because it will help us to open our eyes and hearts to light, beauty, and life.
  I challenge and encourage you today.  If you are going through something painful, frustrating, or difficult, learn to embrace the season you're in.  Learn to walk through it, and the experience will make the good moments that much sweeter.  Dive in!  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.