Don't crumble - build from the rubble!

"The past is never completely lost, however extensive the devastation. Your sorrows are the bricks and mortar of a magnificent temple. What you are today, and what you will be tomorrow are because of what you have been." - Gordon Wright

All of us have experienced, (or likely know someone who has experienced - especially in today's volatile world), some type of devastation in the past. Perhaps it took the form of the violence of war, crime, or domestic abuse. Or maybe it was economic ruin, or the loss of a loved one or a failed relationship.

What we don't see many of, however, are "magnificent temples" built from the bricks and mortar of those sorrows. These tend to be the exception rather than the rule. What we more often see are lost souls standing in the midst of a pile of emotional rubble - building nothing - or people who have walked away from their pile, only taking one chip with them to rest upon their shoulder. For those individuals, the past IS completely lost, because nothing positive was built from it.

There is no doubt in my mind that when Plato wrote that "The life that is unexamined is not worth living," the idea of building something positive from one's past was on his mind. Where does one start to build from devastation? The first step is acceptance. No amount of worry, grief, anxiety, or regret can undo the past, so the only intelligent thing to do is to accept it for what it is. You may need some help to get to that place. If you do, seek it out. Then, once you can look at the past with non-judgmental acceptance,you will have the clear vision needed to objectively examine the destruction and find the unbroken bricks. There IS a "magnificent temple" hidden among your sorrows, waiting to be built. And when it is finished it will be a beacon of hope for many, many others. To do anything less is to ignore the power of your life.