When Life Throws You Curveballs–

I believe this worldwide pandemic has taken its toll on just about everyone in various ways. I know here in Washington State we’ve been hit very hard, closing down schools and businesses, encouraging everyone to distance themselves from others.

No one saw this coming, of course. No one could have predicted that some new, unexpected microscopic germ would be responsible for bringing the world to a standstill. So no one was prepared both physically and mentally to deal with its effects and answer that all too common question, “So what do we do now?”

What now, indeed?

On the whole human beings are resilient creatures, able to ebb and flow to the tides of change. As long as that change is something we have prepared and braced ourselves for beforehand.

But what of life’s curveballs? The thing you didn’t see coming, didn’t prepare for?

It happens in everyone’s life, whether you wish it or not—the unexpected job layoff, the surprise bundle of joy the pee-stick just announced, the unprepared negative amount in your checkbook just as the mortgage is due. It’s the thing that makes your heart race, then halt with the dread of calamity dead ahead.

Yet the true answer lies in the question itself. The unknown path we are suddenly and unexpectedly thrown on is also our exciting, new adventure—good and bad. It’s the thing that makes us truly human, truly unique above every creature on this planet. We have the ability to consciously and thoughtfully decide our next step, to stay frozen where we are or charge around that unseen bend in the road, to be the true heroes of our own stories.

So when life throws you a curveball, don’t just fearfully try and dodge it. Bravely and boldly adjust and lean into hitting that ball with a powerhouse swing, knocking it out of the park.

Then you can victoriously round the bases to Home, and know with full assurance that you can overcome anything that comes your way and be a stronger person for it.