I cannot remember my life before migraines. They started at the age of 11 and progressed throughout the years. These attacks were so personal to me. Sure, there is science behind why migraines happen but it was taking me away from what I loved - people, experiences, opportunities and a predictable life. Over time I learned that fighting a migraine made it worse. What worked best was if I let myself crumble with it. I curled up in a dark room with cold packs and time. Yep. Just time to let the storm pass. At one incredibly low point I called my own coach and said, “Why? Why is it like this?” and he replied, “I don’t know, but it’s going to show you something while you’re there.” He was right. I would rise again with more clarity and resilience. Not only did I feel an urgency to move forward on decisions, I was invigorated and excited to participate in life again. I never take good days for granted.
Some of you are fighting the very thing that will teach you while you’re with it. Maybe you’re in the grip of a job you can’t stand, an unsolvable health mystery you can’t solve, or overwhelmed by our current world affairs. It’s not weak to crumble with it. What you find face down on the floor you’ve been avoiding might be the exact place you find what you’ve been looking for. Perspective changes everything that is exactly the same because of how you see it.
I challenge you to resist the urge to fight through it this time. Drop your gloves, grab a blanket and be with it. Ask God (as you know him) to guide you even if it means laying flat on the floor . If you cannot change it, then ask for the gift of it. What other choice do you have?