As I sit in this time of reflection, a lot comes to mind. A year of failure, success, death, joy, pain, love, trial, and triumph. I recollect my thoughts from June 18th, when the earth stood still, AKA my wedding day. I remember being so excited and nervous, worried yet calm. I felt like a walking paradox. Every time a problem arose, there seemed to be a solution waiting to corner, longing to be used. The day was far from perfect, yet it it felt like perfection personified. I remember wanting to control the day, but I couldn’t. However, I eventually surrendered the day to be exactly what it would be. If only I could do that with my day-to-day life, I might have the peace I felt that day.
The second half of my year has been nothing short of a roller-coaster. From moving eight hours away from family and friends, being director of a ministry, budgeting as a couple, trying a new gym program, finding a new routine, and did mention being married? It was all so fresh at first, and I have seen myself upset with not being motivated to do things that used to be easy. However, in the past week, I have been circling this one word in the back of my mind, consistency.
All that I mentioned earlier revolves around that one word. Because if I can be honest, I’m not “motivated” every day I wake up. Despite the façade I try to put on from time to time, I tend to switch up my approach to the list above. Maybe because they tend to frighten me sometimes or because it’s all so new, and I haven’t figured out my system. If you know me personally, you know that basically anything I do has a why. However, sometimes it’s not as easy as it looks. The fact is that it’s not my motivation that allows me to keep doing things; it’s my consistency. I wish I could say that I love going to the gym every time, but I don’t. Sometimes it sucks, but I still go. Same with anything else, I can’t wake up and decide not to be married. I could, but that would make me a quitter and probably a punk because I am blessed to marry someone like Kat. Either way, you don’t get to feel the warm and fuzzies every day like you did on your wedding day, the first day at your dream job, or your first night in your new home. But how can you get a glimpse of that in the mundane, boring life? The answer is simple, keep getting up.
Now you may be reading this and saying, “huh?” But I want to get one point across. Consistency is key. Because we don’t always have answers to every problem. However, we do have time and the ability to pivot and focus on what we can do. Because for instance, you don’t get ripped by going to the gym in one day, get married by going on one date, or graduate by doing one assignment. We will experience tension and relief, sorrow and joy, decay and growth. We can’t experience one without the other. However, we can learn from one to better enjoy the other. Because on June 18th, I could have stressed about the minor setbacks and missed the beauty of the moment and the extraordinary life that was before me. I’m not trying to spread any toxic positivity, but as we round out this year and move into Christmas, I want you to ask yourself a challenging question: How can you experience peace?
Uncommon Legend 
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