No time to wait

I ran across this quote today:

“How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." —Anne Frank

If you think about it for a second--for a single moment--Anne Frank's words make sense. Despite the fact that she and her family were hiding in a secret annex from the Nazi soldiers during WWII...despite the fact they had left their German homeland to escape the Jewish persecution...despite the fact they were then arrested and taken to the concentration camps, where Anne, her mother and sister were later killed...before her death, Anne Frank still sensed some control over her life. It's why she continued to write in her journal, the diary of her life, as short as it was. It's why her father, who survived the death camps, published her thoughts for the world to read.

The book, Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, was made into a stage play and then a movie.

Her words have, indeed, helped to improve the world. As she sat in the annex, she did not wait at all. She wrote and wrote and wrote. Perhaps she didn't know then the exact impact her words would have after her death, but I think she'd be pleased they continue to inspire.

What are you doing right now to help improve the world? What are you waiting for?

Keeping a diary

Keeping a diary or journaling thoughts has been a common custom handed down for generations. Blogging is an extension of that custom. But there is good reason to do it, if only for yourself.

You may find refuge and solace by writing down your thoughts, feelings, hopes and dreams. You may come to terms with something that's been distracting you. You may answer your own questions. You may just need to vent.

While I was reading Kuki Gallman's I Dreamed of Africa, I discovered she, too, kept journals. She said her diary was a like a pyschoanalyst to her--"a healthy way of gettings things out of my system, pouring them out on the blank, unjudging, tempting pages," she wrote in her book.

I thought of my bike rides in this same way when I was going through my divorce. I cried from the seat of my bike, screamed from the seat of my bike, thought horrible thoughts about my soon-to-be ex from the seat of my bike, and no one judged me. It gave me a sense of freedom that I didn't have when talking to family and friends about my problems. They wanted to help me solve everything. They wanted to hush me if I became too emotional. They just wanted me to feel better.

But I didn't. I felt like crap. And I wasn't going to stop feeling that way just because someone else was uncomfortable. We all need our time to mourn, no matter what we're mourning. We all need to give ourselves the gift of time. Better yet, give yourself the gift of a place to feel your real feeings, as tough as they may be to face. Let a bike do that for you. Let a jog in the park do that for you. Let an afternoon swim be your refuge. Or write down your thoughts in a journal.

No matter what is aching you, no matter what the challenge is that you must face today, you can move past it. You might not be able to change it to your liking, but you will move past it. Just allow yourself to feel the feelings, respect them for what they are--temporary--and "ride" right through them.

Let it be as difficult as it must be, but don't stay there longer than you need to. Focus on one step at a time. Your goal is not to continue hurting. Your goal is to grow from the pain and become a better person for it.

Writing your pain on the page can be a tremendous source of strength for you during times of turmoil. Find that strength, trust in it, and use it to your advantage.

All my best,
Jackie