There's gon' be some stuff you gon' see that's gon' make it hard to smile in the future. But through whatever you see, through all the rain and the pain, you gotta keep your sense of humor. You gotta be able to smile through all this bullshit. Remember that! Some of you might remember these famous words being spoken by the late, great Tupac Shakur on the hit track “Smile”. Tupac was known as a prolific writer, and even through his gangsta persona, he still put out some messages that left a stain on your brain. He was basically telling us that there’s going to be times where life will walk up to us and just kick our ass with no warning or even provocation. Even through the struggle, you have to keep your head up and grin and bear it. You have to endure and persevere through the rain and the pain because the trial will only make your stronger.
I recently watched my hometown Kansas City Chiefs win their second Super Bowl championship in four years. Though my team came out as the victor in their match up, it wasn’t an easy road. My Chiefs were pretty much dominated throughout the first half of the game, and right before halftime our quarterback took a hit and hobbled off the field on one leg. It looked pretty bleak for a moment, but then came halftime. Our boys were able to go into halftime, regroup, make adjustments, and came out on fire in the second half. The one thing sports can teach us is that throughout all the different types of adversity, you have to keep fighting and push through the pain. It’s never over until it’s over.
As I think back over the many challenges that I’ve faced, I know I’m a better person for going through and coming out the other side. I’ve dealt with professional challenges such as being laid off from a job right after I purchased my house. Sitting there wondering how the hell am I going to afford a mortgage and all my other bills now without a job. Instead of wallowing in self-doubt and fear, I did whatever I had to do to make it through. I became hustle man and took on any opportunity that I could find to get money flowing. I also think of my personal challenges of going through a divorce and facing the daunting task of becoming a single parent. I’ve always put my daughter first and made sure she never questioned how much her dad loved her. Even with all that I gave, there came a time when my daughter pulled away from me and didn’t talk to me for over a year. Of all the things that life had sent my way to break me, and this almost did, this was the biggest blow. Nothing I had gone through had prepared me for this season of life, but thankfully my faith in God, the love of family, and a real good therapist got me through.
Every time you think you’ve faced one setback, weathered the storm, and made it through, over the horizon is another storm brewing. Life is a series of challenges and obstacles just waiting for you to step into and through. Even as I’m writing this blog, I’m going through some challenges right now. I don’t think you ever get to a place where you won’t face something that will test you. Your mindset will be what determines how you handle the challenges of life. You can submit and give in, or you can remember that’s it’s only a test to push you to become better. It won’t be easy, but nothing in life worthwhile ever is. Having perspective can also help you deal with your situation. There’s times that I’m gone through something and thought it was the worst thing ever, but then I look and listen to what someone else is going through. I quickly realize that my situation is not so bad, and if they’re surviving their storm, so can I. Life ain’t easy, but it’s worthwhile. So remember to look at whatever you’re facing and remember the chorus from Smile….. “Smile for me, won't you smile? (Smile for me now).”
As always,
Kings Can Move On Yall