Live Deliberately

In the movie, The Truman Show, the titular Truman is the star of a reality show where he is the only real person. Everybody else is an actor, and they, along with the producers, concentrate on controlling Truman and putting him into the situations they want. Eventually, he realizes what is happening, and he has a choice to make. He can continue to live in safety and protection in the fake world created for him, or he can choose to leave and live in the real world. In the real world, he will be unprotected, and anything can happen to him. He decides to leave and experience all the highs and lows of the real world.

We, too, get that choice every day. We can distract ourselves, numb ourselves, and mute all of our feelings. We don’t get the highs of real life, but we are also protected from all of the lows. Life is much easier when we don’t have to face the real pain of everyday life. We can choose to stay in the safe world where we know what to expect. Our actions will be guided by the invisible hand of our past and our unseen, unmet needs, but that is okay with us because we get the safety of the bubble we have created.

An abundant life will always be something longed for in the bubble. It will be something that our soul cries out for, but it is dangerous outside of the bubble. And whether it is conscious or not, a person always makes a decision about whether or not they wish to live dangerously. As we get older, danger becomes less and less attractive, so to quiet down the yearning within, we find ways to numb ourselves.

But pain has a purpose. Pain points to areas of need that we have in our hearts. Pain highlights parts of ourselves that we need to look at and address. It is the same as when we touch the stove. It feels hot, so we take our hands off the stove. Emotional pain acts the same. But when we are numb to it, we do not take our hands off of the emotional stove. We continue in destructive behaviors and actions without realizing the damage it causes to our relationships, emotions, or spirit.

A choice to leave the bubble is a choice to feel pain. It means that we no longer allow ourselves to numb the pain. Instead, we face it. Not only is this a scary prospect, but it is also hard work.

There is a mountain of pain waiting, and as we work hard climbing it, there is more and more pain to feel. Everything that we have numbed and ignored will be there.

Do the hard work. It is worth it, and it will not last forever. There is all of the pain that we have buried from life still to face, but once we face it and work through it, we are free of it. We no longer carry it around with us. There is joy on the other side. There is freedom on the other side. But first, the mountain. What is left of the night? Morning is coming, but also the night.

Do not fear the pain. But mainly, do not fear the hard work required to get through it. Time will have to be spent. Effort will have to be spent. And especially, pride will have to be released. Then we can know that morning is coming, but only after the night.