A song I hadn’t thought of in a long time floated into my head this morning. It brought up memories of the paths we sometimes have to travel alone.
I’m sure we’ve all walked paths that felt dark and lonely at the start, yet somehow, we found the strength within ourselves to carry on, even when hope seemed distant.
There’s one path I want to talk about, but I’ll keep it general. The trouble came unexpectedly, catching me off guard. I faced a challenge that required careful thought and effort to figure out a solution. During this particularly troubling time, I had no allies and was essentially on my own. Eventually, I figured out what needed to be done, spoke to those involved, and shared my expectations. They said they would get back to me.
And so began a long, arduous wait. During this time, I had to cope with uncertainty, anxiety, and frustration. I also had to acknowledge that if my plan didn’t work, I’d be in a difficult situation. Sleepless nights followed. I lay awake, overthinking, speculating, always arriving at the worst-case scenario. It’s funny how negative thinking can spiral, pulling you deeper into anxiety.
But it’s during these times that you discover a strength you didn’t know you had. I don’t know where it comes from, but it’s the strength to endure, to be patient, and to hold onto the hope that events might turn in your favor. At that stage, it felt like the deck was stacked against me.
Eventually, a meeting was held. To my surprise, someone I never expected to support me began to outline my case and propose a resolution favorable to both parties. After waiting six months for a decision, you can imagine my relief. I had walked this dark and lonely path for so long that I couldn’t even conceive of such a favorable outcome, but there it was.
One thing I’ve learned from this is that there are impartial, good people who understand the humanity of a situation and can craft resolutions where both parties feel better. Sometimes, an ally emerges from the most unexpected places. When facing a dark and lonely path, you never know how things might turn out. It’s best not to be too heavily invested in a specific outcome but to believe that, whatever happens, you will come out all right in the end. I’m not talking about platitudes or clichés. I’m just saying that somehow, you will find within yourself the strength to endure and carry on until the end.
