KEEP GOING

Keep Going. Two simple words, but when put together these two simple words give a powerful meaning to a simple statement ~ KEEP GOING. I recently saw this inspiring phrase on a good friend's cell phone. I was looking at pictures on his phone and I noticed the headline said "Keep Going." I asked why he had that on there and he said he put that on his phone one day when he was having a bad day to remind him to keep going no matter what the circumstances. He has been through alot of similar life experiences that I have so I completely understood what the phrase "keep going" symbolized. Of course I was immediately drawn to those two little words and realized that we can all benefit from the phrase.

We all must live life day to day whether we want to or not. We all have circumstances or situations we have had to deal with in the past or are currently dealing with that we wish we could avoid. Life isn't always beautiful, but it can be a beautiful ride. The moments of darkness and weakness seem to be treacherous and unbearable at the very moment we encounter those times. But all situations come to pass in time. We must keep moving forward or "keep going" to get through those tough times and move on to the future. We often times do not know what the future will hold or what will happen tomorrow but we can be certain that if we keep going, the light will shine at the end of the tunnel. The sun shines brightest after the storm ~ that is one of my favorite quotes. I remember seeing that on a sign while driving to work one morning when I was going through a really difficult time in life. That saying hit me like a ton of bricks and I have never forgotten it since. But if we really think about it, that is so true. We have to go forward, move on and live life or we will be stuck in the same rut until we decide to lift ourselves out of that rut onto higher ground.

Here is a prime example ~ Have you ever taken a truck or 4-wheeler mudding? The country girl in me thinks that is fun as long as the vehicle is in forward motion. I would hate to be on a 4-wheeler running through deep mud for the all terrain vehicle to break down and then I'd be stuck sinking in the mud. I like to cruise through mud but not stand directly in it! Think about that for just a moment. That is a good comparison to life and what we go through. We all want to be happy and life to be easy and perfect all the time, and at times that can be the case, but eventually the thrill of life will hit its peak and then we start sliding downhill again. Reality is that we all have ups and downs, valleys and peaks, but if we KEEP GOING through the mud that life throws at us, we will eventually get to dry ground and to where we need to be. We have to encounter some messy situations from time to time in order for us to come out stronger and learn from the "mud" thrown at us in life. And always remember, during the muddy times in your life, that is when God wants to clean you up and refresh your body and soul. With God's help and self determination, we can make it through ANY situation in life. We can overcome any obstacle thrown our way with the right attitude and the will to keep going. Keep moving forward and do not look back. For when you look back, you miss what is currently in front of your eyes or what could be in the future.

So if you are having a bad day or going through storms in life right now, remember those two little words. Keep Going. And when you keep going, you will eventually reach your destination. Life is a everchanging continuous battle but it doesn't have to be. Life is what we make of it and if we choose to keep going through the mud and the storms that pass, that is the best decision we can make. Our choices effect our outcome of where we will end up in this world so if we stay focused and keep going, we can have a brighter future.

I have chosen to remember these two little words and believe it or not, it has really helped me a few times when I have been down or wanted to give up hope or crawl under a rock and not deal with a certain scenario. I have always lived by that philosophy but just to hear or read those two words together makes a world of difference. It has reminded me that no matter what lemons are thrown at me in life, it's all part of the big plan that I often times do not understand. There is a reason for everything that happens, a reason for every person I have ever met, and a reason that some things work out in our favor and some do not. I have found that usually when something does not turn out the way we expected, it was normally a blessing in disguise. Don't get me wrong, there are still some situations I have questioned the outcome or do not understand why something happened the way it did. But I also do not have the ability to see the big picture; only God has that authority. And I have to trust in that even though sometimes it has been difficult. There will be storms of life throughout our entire time here on earth; but there will also be wonderful moments that we cherish forever. But if we KEEP GOING throughout everything in life, we will find out God's plan for our life sooner than later.

Along with this Keep Going theory often comes a word most people are strongly against.... CHANGE. Things change, people change, circumstances change, I change, you change, friends change, family changes, you get the idea? Everything changes at some time or another. And we can either go with the changes and make life flow easier or we can fight the changes and stay in the same rut we landed ourselves in. Again it comes down to this - only you can decide if change is necessary or if you want to keep yourself in the same place you have been struggling and fighting. Change is scary (I know firsthand) but through all changes, I have kept going! And looking back, I wouldn't change a thing because everything that has happened in my life has made me who I am today. And I can honestly say I'm proud of who I have become. I have faults just like every other human being on this earth, but I made the decision to KEEP GOING through it all. And I learned from those mistakes or faults and have become a much better person because of it.

To sum it up, if you remember nothing else, plant those two little words in your brain somewhere. Through the good, bad, fabulous, rough, wonderful or trying times in life, KEEP GOING. Keep going through all of it, keep your head up and moving through everything thrown at you in life and you will become a stronger and better person in the long run. I am grateful for all that I have been through, even the hard times. Because after the smoke has cleared, the blessings have been abundant. I look back and see things now that I couldn't see then at the time. I will keep going and I pray that each and every person in this world keeps going. That is the best choice we can make for ourselves and for those around us. Because when we keep going, we are doing exactly what God wants us to do. We are living and moving forward just like we should be. When we keep going, there is no greater pleasure to God. He will be pleased with our attitude and our will to push forward. And we can also be an inspiration to others when we keep going. In fact, the creator of the KEEP GOING phrase tells me all the time he keeps going because I have inspired him. But I was so inspired by this phrase that I have made changes in my life because I have been reminded to keep going even when I didn't want to. So hold your head up high no matter what you are going through in life, and always remember to get the best results in life's journey, KEEP GOING no matter what the circumstances.