Keep Calm - Rock On

I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength

- Philippians 4:12-13

A man's wisdom gives him patience . . .

- Proverbs 19:11a

Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

- US Marine Corps

"Keep Calm, Carry On" was a WW2 British morale poster. I recently saw a parody of it that said "Keep Calm - Rock On" which I prefer.

For all my moralizing about "That Figures" and "We Shall See", I still get really creased about things from time to time. However I find that it doesn't seem to happen as often as it used to. If you are lucky, there is a certain amount of present strength that can come from past suffering. It may not come right away - you may feel broken and defeated for a time - but hopefully you come out on the other side with a new perspective and an, "I have faced worse", strength.

I find myself repeating "Keep Calm - Rock On" when I find myself despairing of circumstances. I can feel the panic, the despair (anger even) welling up. My dear cousin calls it "flooding" which I initially dismissed as hooey but now believe as gospel. When this happens I try to recall:

1) That Figures: Jesus himself promised we would have troubles

2) We Shall See: Life has never been and never will be mine to control 100%. I can do my best to steer the boat but the weather is not up to me. Quit shouting at the wind and concentrate on the rudder . . .

Keep Calm and Rock On

When things fall apart or get frustrating you can get angry, you can get depressed (which is just anger without enthusiasm) but it won't change those two fundamental truths. In fact, when I find myself start to get frustrated it is usually because I am refusing to acknowledge these truths, "That Figures" and "We Shall See".

On a funny side note: I think about this video quite often when I am dealing with all the bureaucratic BS that goes along with this semi-ridiculous life:


http://youtu.be/Kmmgx_jPlKI

"It going to be a problem."

"I figured! (They say it's going to be a nightmare . . . something about hell-on-earth . . . )"

Stuff is going to go wrong, sometimes it will derail the best laid plans. Sometimes, in hindsight, the stuff you thought was going wrong was just stuff going right in an unexpected direction.

So you might as well tell yourself to "Keep Calm and Rock On" chances are you have faced down worse. And if this is the absolute worst you have ever faced, with any luck it will remain worst you ever have to face and you will be able to draw strength from it for future challenges.

Big Huge Caveat: Sometimes a pithy slogan isn't enough. By that (in my unprofessional, non-medical opinion) panic attacks are never okay. When I started having panic attacks a couple of years back, I knew exactly why. I could point to half-a-dozen circumstances that would drive any sane person around the bend. The fact that I could explain my anxiety proved to me that I wasn't "crazy" and didn't need help. I thought professional help was for those who were having panic attacks for no reason. I was wrong. If your present situation is driving you to panic attacks or debilitating anxiety, get professional help. It may involve medication, it may not. I waited far longer than I should have and endured far more pain than I needed to. And since hurting people tend to hurt people, those around me endured more pain than they needed to as well.

That exception aside . . . .