This too shall pass

Just when things appears to be moving smoothly and you start to feel like you have a handle on everything, life shows you differently. One heartache (or many), one loss (job, loved one, direction, or you name it), or one misstep, and you find yourself recounting the events that brought you to this present moment.

You evaluate the "what if's." What if you did not say those words, did not accept that offer, acted with a little less caution, or allowed someone to get to know you beyond the superficiality? Those questions are oh so comforting, but do you no good in the long run. The catch about hypothetical scenarios is that there are an infinite number of possible outcomes, so thinking about the most optimistic outcome (or the most pessimistic one, depending on where your thoughts take you) is just plain delusional.

The moment in you're engaged is the present. You cannot reverse the past, but may be able to influence the future. The reality of it all may sting badly, but there are other opportunities to alter your behavior, reaction, influence upon and interpretation of the events to come. You will never be confronted with the exact opportunity/events, but the wonderful thing is that there are more.

So take a moment (or two or twenty) to grieve, rejoice, and reflect, and know that this too shall pass.