Sometimes You Just Gotta Push Through...

 "Sky is the limit and you know that you keep on/ Just keep on pressin' on/ Sky is the limit and you know that you can have what you want, be what you want, have what you want, be what you want..." ~Chorus from Notorious B.I.G.'s - "Sky's The Limit" (F. 112)

2010 has been an interesting and tough year, to say the least. Putting aside the natural disasters, the global economic crisis, and the most recent man-made environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, on a more personal level, many people I know are going through some hard times -- shoot, I'm dealing with some stuff right now as I write this post. Life is full of ups and downs - that's nothing new - but for us A-i-T's, meeting the challenges that come with becoming grown folk (GF), well, these are novel as we haven't quite reached GF status just yet...There is something about this year that makes me feel as if many of us are facing those situations in life, those rights of passage that will eventually get us to GF status. The question is, how do we successfully pass through these trials, tribulations, and the sometimes just pure unnecessary drama, and come out on the other side as more fully formed A-i-T's? 

Recently, I must confess that I have caught myself looking at teens and even younger children with a slight degree of envy, thinking about how uncomplicated their lives are, and how relatively less complicated my own life was even just five years ago. We A-i-T's are now more than a few years removed from college, some of us are in our second or even third job, not having quite found the right fit. In recent times, some of us are between jobs -- and I say that on purpose to keep the faith that the next job is out there for you and I. Some of us (like me) are in grad school (whether by circumstance or by choice), trying to make affirmative moves toward starting or advancing a career -- but no matter where we find ourselves, we seem to be facing unprecedented personal challenges. Whether it's the death of loved ones, personal or familial health problems, foreclosure and other housing issues, financial troubles, or being hit by some intelligent driver in the parking lot, someone you or I know is going through it. What heartens and encourages me is that despite and in spite of  these circumstances, A-i-T's are keeping on...

In the midst of crisis, we all seek escape. I that sometimes I just want to go to sleep and be woken up once all the drama is over, but despite how hard things can get, if life was easy, it ultimately wouldn't be worth it. Why is it that we don't trust people who haven't been through anything? As the picture for this post says, "Life is a Beautiful Struggle." Without pain, we would not appreciate pleasure. Without sadness, joy would be that much less sweet, and without struggle, we would not revel in the times when life is flowing smoothly. The beauty lies, not in the easy times, but in what emerges from the tough ones...one place I look for inspiration and hope when I feel like the protagonist in a Greek tragedy, is my faith...

There is some great wisdom in this book called The BIBLE (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth ~ GZA - "B.I.B.L.E.) -- and in times like these I look to James 1:2-4

"(2) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (4) Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Whether or not you are Christian, the wisdom of these words is undeniable. Trials suck, there is no disputing that, but what you gain from passing through in terms of growth in mind and character is priceless. It's been a funky year for me and many others, but despite it all, sometimes you just gotta push through...as it's all part of the journey toward GF status. I did not write this post to provide solutions or resolutions, but to encourage my fellow A-i-Ts in facing whatever challenges they might be encountering.

"Stay far from timid/ Only make moves when ya heart's in it/ And live the phrase Sky's The Limit..." ~Notorious B.I.G. - "Sky's The Limit"

Peace,

A-i-T