Normally, I think I would be the last person to endorse any TikTok videos, but I recently had a friend post one to Facebook that caught my attention.
The video is filmed underwater and shows a man carrying a large rock while he runs toward the camera. As he stops, words appear on the screen that say, “Remember, when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.” He then drops the rock and quickly begins to rise to the surface. As he’s rising, the words “release your weights” appear.
Now, the troubles of this world will come for us all in one form or fashion, and as much as we’d like to believe we are invincible, the universe has other ideas. Often, it can feel like we’re drowning and those weights of the world weigh us down tremendously.
Sometimes, as you might be painfully aware, they all come at once. As William Shakespeare said, “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.”
There is really nowhere to hide when the “-ly” family comes to collect the rent due: mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially all occupy important spaces in our lives but when one is out of balance, it often affects every other facet of our lives.
However, it’s in those moments we often find out the most about ourselves. They force us to ask what things and people are truly important to us.
There is nothing quite like enjoying the fruits of life. The great family, the awesome friendships and the successful careers are all glorious when they’re working in harmony to allow us to live our best lives possible. That said, hitting rock bottom will teach you lessons that mountaintops never could.
One of my football coaches used to say, “A smooth sea never made for a good sailor” and “You can’t climb a smooth mountain.” He would also add a quote from Vince Lombardi that said, “the man at the top of the mountain didn’t just fall there.”
You see, it’s in those struggles that we find out most about ourselves, who we are, who our friends are and what truly defines our lives.
Talking with a lot of people over the last few years, I see the pain in their eyes and the hurt in their voices. Sometimes, the troubles of our lives can be overwhelming and the stress can be enough to break even the toughest of souls.
If you’re struggling in any way, please reach out to those who care about you, but also keep in mind that almost every situation is temporary.
When you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom, the best answer is to release all those things that have been weighing you down. Once you do that, you’ll begin to rise.
Use those lessons you learned at the bottom and let them serve as a reminder of where you’ve been and where you don’t want to revisit. When you find yourself carrying too much of a burden and the weight is keeping you down, put that rock down!