Shake It Off / Happenings In The Outhouse 28-April-2023

You find yourself tossed into the bottom of a well.  Then, shovelful after shovelful of dirt is thrown in.  You are trapped.  What do you do?  Let yourself be buried?  Or use the dirt to rise yourself out of the hole?

In other words, shake it off.

From time to time, things will happen that will throw you off your game.  It happens to everyone.  Shake it off and move on.  Figure out a solution instead of just complaining that nothing can be done.  I heard someone say once, "If you bring me a dead cat, you better bring me a shovel."  In other words, bring a plan for your situation.

When my late wife was diagnosed with leukemia back in April 2011, it would've been easy for me to throw in the towel and say I quit!  But I didn't.  I double-downed on my writing.  When her illness progressed over the years from the side effects of her transplant, I will admit that I had some dark days.  Then, in early 2018, I turned everything over to God.

I did put things in God's hands many times over the years, but for whatever reason that was a turning point for me.  When her illness took a massive turn for the worst in May 2019, leading to eventual passing in January 2020, I did take a step back a bit.  I still wrote, but not as much as before.  I took small steps.  I knew when my head wasn't in the right place.  So I'd take a small break and either watch a show or read.  When I was able to join the local gym, I took solace in improving my overall health.

I looked for solutions.

I shook off things, and moved onward.

Life is never easy.  But it's how you react to it that matters.