The sun has finally started making regularly scheduled appearances in the Great Northwest. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and people are EVERYWHERE!
Yet you still feel alone.
‘Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone,’ reads the opening stanza of the popular poem, ‘Solitude’ by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. It paints a picture of joy & laughter being a shared experience, yet you are left to deal with sorrow alone. However, you feel both your tears and laughter echo back to you in isolation.
Now that the sun is out you’ve made the decision to shake things up. You are determined to break out of this funk. You signed up for classes, started volunteering at the animal shelter and you’ve joined the YMCA. These are good decisions. When looking for depression busters – getting involved is a good first step. But it is not the only step. Often we fall into the trap of mistaking activity for connection. When you are looking for a way to bust through depression, the pathway leads through relationships.
You are a strong and independent woman. You have to fight the natural tendency to pull back and remain self-reliant. You reason that you can handle this and you don’t need anyone to help you through it. The truth is; you do. Rick Warren, best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life says, ‘We often use terms like finding time or making time to spend with friends. We try to squeeze relationships into our lives like they’re just another task. But God says relationships are what life is all about.’ Relationships are not optional.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox penned Solitude after meeting and consoling a stranger on a train. It was a painful and lonely journey for that individual that left a lasting impression on Wilcox. Maybe you feel like you can relate to that isolated traveler on the train, in desperate need of someone to connect with to help you through the difficult seasons of life and celebrate when life is good.
Women’s Life Coaching groups were created for that very reason.
The next step after getting involved is getting connected. In order to get connected, you have to be intentional. Relationships don’t just happen, which is why we focus on life groups at Sunrise Center for Wellness. These groups provide an opportunity for you to connect with other amazing women in a positive and supportive environment where healthy relationships can be nurtured and developed.
Wilcox also penned this famous quote, ‘There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.’ Set your mind on connection. You were made for relationships. Don’t let anything stand in the way of experiencing life the way it was meant to be lived. Your breakthrough begins with connection.
Rick Warren is right. We truly are better together.
Breaking Free From Isolation
