Home is currently on the other side of the world. Living amidst the beauty of different cultures, with different languages, in unfamiliar places, and eating food I’m not use to…sometimes I feel like this boat. Feeling used up, a little worn out. I don’t have my old routines to find some rest from everything that is new. Just past a month of living outside of my normal, I’m finally beginning to take on the stress of adapting to living with constant change. You could say the honeymoon stage has passed and now I’m learning to live in a different way. 

In this sort of beat up state, I am not distressed but rather hopeful and expectant. Instead of returning to what I know, I remain in a state that is  ripe for growth as a person. It’s the times when we feel desperate for something that we actually make the difficult changes which begin to accommodate our longtime needs. With a little further observation and patience, I may begin to recognize what those needs are—half the battle right there—and learn to develop the necessary changes. 

That could be a perspective, a certain way of thinking, breaking or making a habit, forgiving yourself or someone you know, letting go of something that has been hurting you, establishing a true identity, finding purpose and fulfillment…The need may vary widely, but know that there are always others who feel as you do and are dealing with the same issue. 

If you’re going through struggles, feeling overwhelmed, or constantly worn out…I encourage you to see yourself as being in a good spot for impending refinement.