Limitless Potential

My heart fills with overwhelming sadness when I watch videos about the tsunami in Japan. It breaks when I read about the nuclear power plant. Natural disasters are always awful and heartwrenching, yet I have not been affected by one like I am with this one. Maybe because I know that as a whole Japan is so conscious of their environment. Maybe because I know as a whole Japan is kind to their neighbor. Maybe because I know that Japan does not deserve this. Maybe because I know that it is going to be one of the worst tragedies that country has experienced in years. I want to help--I know we are going to try, but I wish that my efforts could make a big enough difference. I want to take away the sadness in the hearts of the millions who have lost loved ones, I want to rewind and delete the whole disaster. But if we could do that we would have used that for about everything like this. If we could do that no one would experience pain, heartbreak or sorrow. If we could do that no one would ever grow into a better person, no one would ever have the need to build character because they would continually be rewinding something bad to make it better. We would not develop as a race or as emotional beings. I have no idea who we would become but I suspect it would not be pretty or virtuous. I would be very afraid to meet that race that does not experience pain for they would be something of a monster to us I'm sure.

Think of yourself as person and the struggles that you would have done anything to take back at the time. The pain that you felt wasn't worth it then--you would trade it for anything. But look at yourself now. Look at how far you have come, what you did to take that pain and deal with it, turn it into something positive and become a better person because of it in the long run. The process may have been long, it may still be happening but many times our blessings are disguised at the time and become something more than we ever thought they could.

I like life because of that. I also hate life because of that. Doing something that I don't want to do has always been really hard for me. Forcing myself to do something I don't really want to do NOW is even harder for some reason. I think its because I know what I want and I'm not getting it so the thought of a detour is making me cringe. But I like to believe it builds character. If not let me be ignorant to it, for I will live in that state peacefully.

Not to say that natural disasters are really the same as emotional disasters but I do think there are various levels of human strength that are put to the test in both scenarios. To me, it is absolutely incredible what the human mind and body are capable of. Whether it be bad or good, it cannot be argued that humans are indeed incredible. Many of us cannot believe stories of individuals overcoming incredible struggles, hardships, tragedies and pain but if we were in the same position would we have no choice but to do the same? The main goal most likely is to live life and many will go through the unimaginable to do it.

I sit in awe as I watch he struggles of this world--just in disbelief that people can continue on after what has happened to them. How do they not just lay down and give up? Of course that is the easy way out. The coward's road and too many people have come too far to become chopped liver, no matter what is happening to them at the moment. As someone random once said, "Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”

Live above expectations even if they are your own, for there is no telling what you are capable of until do what you never thought was possible. Push yourself into the zone where "can't" is a foreign word, where you can look back with pride and say, "wow, I did that".

Not intentionally getting all philosophical here, but I have recently begun to realize that there are so many things we can do and so many times where we stop ourselves short of our own potential. I am a perfect example of that and it would be tragic to think that I might have lived a half life if I did not begin to realize this now. Our potential is limitless. Except if we try to fly--that is physically impossible and will end in severe injury or death. Unless you are a professional hang glider. Even still, death is a large possibility.

I know that people can survive hell and I hope that they can do more than just survive, but right now, with all that is going on in the world a small hope of survival can bring light to the dark and eventually become a larger path for hope and eventually taking in the true beauty that is life.