“I will not let grief overtake me nor will I allow the ghosts of circumstances past to stall my growth.”
C.G. Thomas
I sat down with a glass of wine; a Sauvignon Blanc to be exact, and thought about how far my family had come. How we were able to rise above the adversities, circumstances, and verisimilitude that lay await in the dark crevices of our minds. I cried… some tears of sadness but mostly tears of gratitude. How did we get here?
We are not a family of means; we are a brood of hardworking breeders or at least that is what our circumstances say we are. The history of our bloodline does not boast of Directors, Vice Presidents, Accountants, and Business Owners so again I ask… how did we get here?
It is easy to believe that our circumstances define us. We are born into a certain family, raised in a certain area, and have a set of experiences that shape who we are. While it is true that our circumstances play a role in shaping who we are, it is important to remember that they do not define us. I asked a question earlier “How did we get here?” Let’s explore some ideas that have kept us moving forward.
Pain is a Catalyst
August 2019 was the worst month that I have ever experienced in my life; we lost our youngest son. This pain was insurmountable and crippling. In that time and space I had no drive and could not see past that situation. I’ve heard the phrase “Turn Pain into Purpose” so many times… the funny thing is I never really understood what that meant; that is until I literally had to turn my pain into purpose. It was important to live a life that my son would have been proud of so I sat down and dug deep into my recesses and found that I was resilient. I had more strength than I thought. I did not allow the pain to devour me; I allowed the pain to be a catalyst for my creativity because I am more than just a grieving mother.
Find something that drives you and allow your pain to be your motivation.
History not “Your-story”
So you were not born into the “SS Club”… That is what my family calls people that were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Guess what, most of us were not either and most don’t have families that are in the top one percent. So what’s next? Do you follow in the path that has been carved by your family’s history or do you find another way?
Their story is not your story! Stop allowing the frailty of those that came before you to be an excuse to remain stagnant. In this free land you can do whatever you want to do. Just because Big-mama did it does not mean you have to pick up the breadcrumbs that she scattered around. Will it take courage to take a stance? Absolutely, but the success on the other side of history will be worth it.
Listen, you are not your history or your circumstances. You are the culmination of all of your experiences, both good and bad. You have the power to choose how to respond to life’s challenges. You can let them define you, or you can use them to make you stronger.
Today is a new day… make it count. I hope you’ve enjoyed your view inside the mind of Sugar Clark!
Be Blessed!
