There's a beautiful aspect of viewing life through rose colored glasses; often considered the dreamer or the idealist. This mindset sees the darkness in the world yet, choses to focus on the light anyway.

It was a Saturday morning when I had been contemplating too hard on negative unproductive thoughts. I snapped out of it realizing I had been on and off in this space for a few months, which was far too long. I was making comparisons between myself and others and how fast they were able to move forward. In my mind some form of movement (even if it wasn't progressive) was better than staying in the same place. But, what if that wasn't my calling? What if it isn't yours either? To frivolously move in the world with no direction...

 During this rough Saturday morning with self; a friend I hadn't spoken to in awhile called me out of the blue. He wanted to plan a future workout session and asked me about my backstory with my fitness journey

I briefly told him that I had been overweight my entire life and had been shamed by family friends and even guys about it, for years.

Both sides of my family are from the south (Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to be exact) So southern food best known as soul food is a big part of southern culture, including me and my families upbringing. Soul food consists of primarily greasy and deep fried dishes with little to no nutritional value. So Despite my family having critical health conditions due to their prior living style--their opinions didn't change my mind about my own health, until I was scheduled to meet a brutally honest pediatrician.

I was 16 when I stood on the doctors scale standing 5'2 at 205lbs. She drew blood, ran tests then came back with ego shattering news. 

"You are too large for your size and age. You have high blood pressure, high cholesterol; you're on the verge of type 2 diabetes..." she paused. "You have the body of a 60 year old woman..."

The doctor wasn't lying because she was a physician; and two, I had the ailments to prove her analysis was correct. I was developing arthritis in my knees, severe lower back pain and chronic asthma that would wake me up from my sleep most nights.

As i'm speaking to my friend in the present moment, I told him 'had she not spoke to me the way she did and provided undeniable facts for what is; I would have never gotten the wake up call that made a positive everlasting impact on my life. Receiving that news at such a young age was devastating, heartbreaking and embarrassing to say the least. 

 I didn't make immediate changes.  I pondered on her words because they were in fact 100% truth and continued living the way I was prior to that visit; until I was fed up with my own circumstances to make the moves I needed for a better life. I told my friend how the journey through discomfort often take's you to your potential.

The discomfort could be anything; rejection or trauma, in my case it was my lifestyle, circumstances and indirect personal choices. Outside of what I felt and what I could visually see in the mirror, ultimately I received evidence from a medical professional. Everyone's conditions vary but being uncomfortable in life is unavoidable.

It's typically the foundational basis through every superhero's future. Have you ever heard of the superhero theory? If not, that's ok (I made it up.) 

 

It's the theory of mandatory trials and tribulations one must go through before they get to their power and calling. For a lack of better words it's considered an awakening. Every fictional superhero has their dark moments before they become the phoenix. The phoenix is a figurative representation of the caterpillar becoming the butterfly, the flower blossoming and you becoming everything you were meant to be.

Applied to reality , you are the main character and hero of your own life where 'dark moments' are unavoidable because that's a part of living. They mold you and shape you, ultimately to help you grow. 

Peter Parker was a bullied teen before be became spider-man. Bruce Wayne watched his parents get murdered in an alleyway before he became Batman and Wade Wilson lived a dirtbag lifestyle and became a burn victim before becoming Deadpool. The list goes on forever, yet these fictional stories are the blueprint for our real lives.

Prince E.A. said it best: "Struggle and criticisms are prerequisites for greatness, that is the law of the universe and no one can escape it..." and "there are no such thing as smooth mountains."

Take a look at the video below: Prince E.A's extremely powerful message regarding pain and success:

                                                           The Awakening

Every superhero has to wake up to a reality of themselves before becoming super. For some reason we tend to sugarcoat who we really are and the world around us; I call this phase 'The Dirty Mirror'. You may know it by what most spiritualists call "The Dark Knight of the Soul", but this dirty mirror is you looking at a false reflection of what you want to see to cater to your ego. Yet the dark knight of the soul brings these falsified perceptions to light; your issues, your trauma, the parts of you that need to heal, all the lies you've told others and the ones you've told yourself.

These falsified perceptions are usually us overvaluing ourselves as a facade. No you're not as attractive, intelligent and charming as you think you are which makes this mirror extremely hard to face. But it's the only way to carve the block of clay into the beautiful masterpiece thats hiding underneath. 

                                                      The Grea(test)

If you want to be the greatest you have to pass many tests. The isolation of facing your shadow self builds the lesson's you are meant to learn. Although we go through lessons our entire lives; sometimes they don't create the impact we need until sitting with ourselves is our only option.

I can't think of anything magnificent that didn't develop through solitude and darkness. Not trees, not diamonds, not even human life. It is in these dark moments of isolation you discover there isn't anything you cant handle. The once dirty mirror becomes crystal clear and reflects back your power and strength. It reveals that your previous setback was preparing you for major come-ups. That life was never against you, but preparing you for your greatest self this entire time.

Remember when I talked about comparing my journey with others? The chapter of staying in your lane is a journey within itself. Your calling isn't like everyone else's and if you're comparing how difficult your journey is, the journey may be more strenuous because the calling is higher. Staying in your lane is a slick way of telling you to mind your business. You have no idea what battles someone else is fighting, you don't know how well they're able to conceal their issues. So comparing the map of your life to someone else's is foolish. 

Having a greater or higher calling doesn't mean that you're better than others either. It just means your responsibility and your purpose may play a great role in the grand scheme of things. So realize in the midst of your struggle and pain, your life is like a video game.

If you've ever played a video game you notice you always have to defeat the boss before getting to the next level. Once approaching the boss, it's always the most difficult phase before leveling up. And like a game, most of us cant get to the next level until we pass the boss. In the real world the 'boss' is our lessons and the tests will repeat themselves until the lesson is learned.

Most of us are still asking ourselves why we're going through the same thing over and over again; while constantly trying to find an outward solution when the answer is within. It's ok to not get things right the first time around; to make mistakes and to fail. In fact I recommend you fail constantly; if you are always failing it means you are always trying. It's ok to mess up, its not ok to give up. 

     Super Hero's and Villains Are on Opposite Sides of the Same Coin

Most villains are the super hero's that couldn't handle the struggle. No one ever asks how the bad guy became the bad guy; and usually it's when they didn't pass their own life's tests. We're all faced with trauma, heartbreak or anything that triggers our pain. this is the crucial moment that determines which path you will go on.

Will you be victorious? Or will you spiral down hill? You're only one step, one bad decision one positive or negative state of mind away from where you'll be going. Know the wrong direction doesn't have to be the final destination. That every day is another day to get it right. It's not over until you say so.