Rock bottom is where true change happens

​Rock bottoms.

Some days I feel like I've seen more rock bottoms than a river bed. But I wouldn't trade one of them away. Every rock bottom I've experienced in my life has led to the biggest changes in my life.

Too often, before rock bottom, we believe we can hold together things that are clearly falling apart. We sell ourselves on fixes that aren't fixes at all, but rather, they are the lies we use to tell ourselves all is well when all is really a disaster.

In those lies, all the energy that could be going into changing our lives goes into protecting the lies. All our energy goes into gluing together a shattered glass, foolishly believing we'lll one day drink out of it again.

Somehow, we always believe that broken glass is going to magically be new again.

That is - until rock bottom.

It's amazing the clarity you find on rock bottom. It's amazing looking up and out of the well of your life, how clearly you see your mistakes, the damage done, all that you would do to change your life.

And the brave climb out and do go about changing their life.

I've spent a lot of my life wishing - even praying for - a new day. Let me start this day or this week or this life all over again. But before rock bottom, that wish always includes a little belief I can still hold together the parts of the old day that are falling apart.

The truth is, I wasn't wanting a new day at all, I just wanted a little help holding on to the old day. The old me...

Rock bottom changes all that in an instance. Rock bottom stands before you, toe to toe and nose to nose, it maybe even grabs hold of you and shakes you a bit, and with vicious confidence lets you know there IS no more old you.

You can either lay down and die on this rock bottom, or get up and change.

I'm not proud of my rock bottoms in life. A lot of damage has been done on my trips there.

But I am proud that every time rock bottom has stood toe to toe and nose to nose with me, I've shoved him aside. I've got up and walked around him and over him and I've changed.

I always have. I always will.

I suppose there are folks reading who would suggest it's a bit of a fool who requires so many rock bottoms in life. I get your point. All I can say is, maybe - but I'm grateful that I've never been foolish enough to stay on one of those rock bottoms.

I suppose I could beat myself up over the amount of change I've had to make in my life, or I can look kindly at myself for all the change I've been willing to make.

Today, I'll choose the latter.

Because not everyone gets up from rock bottom. Not everyone is willing to change. A lot of folks are far more comfortable sitting around waiting for a new day.

And that can be one long wait......