Gratitude during the Floating Season

When you're growing up, you imagine the life you want. You imagine the experiences you want to have. What you don't imagine is that road traveled until those figments of your imagination come into fruition. When we look ahead, we think of the glory but never consider the struggles or challenges that may come our ways. In a previous post, I mentioned a book I'm reading entitled, The Road Less Traveled. This book speaks upon the psychological outcomes of the human experience when dealing with struggle or challenges. People either embrace tough times, or pretend as if they don't exist. The book suggest that if people trained themselves to deal with struggle, discomfort and pain, then life would seem more bearable during actually tough times, and one could maturely accept life, and just as well continue to function, thrive and grow. 
In my recent experience, I realized that there is another aspect of life...experiences that I call the "Floating Season." This is a season in which unpredictability seems to surround you. You're not really sure of the next step, and because of this uncertainty, it is when you seem the most out of control of your circumstance, yet you have the most control of the next steps. When those who plan, actually have a free canvas to create the lives they want, it can become overwhelming. At age 26, I wanted to start BE! I prayed for whatever circumstance to occur to allow that to happen, and let me tell you...I'm in a Floating Season. I was fired from my Masters degree job earlier this year; I was expected to receive unemployment from February 2013 until February 2014 but received it 1/4th of that time. Because of the times, I gratefully got to fall back on my savings which I ended up going through. For the first time in a long time, I turned to some financial assistance from my family. In the midst of it, there were times when I wondered when I would eat, or where gas money would come from. I began a health & wellness coaching business and realized, entrepreneurship wasn't as romantic as it seem. Everything in my life seemed to be afloat. So much so, that even though I had all the freedom in the world, sometimes I just wanted to ball up in a corner. Yet through it all, Gratitude was the surest way to pull me out of a state of unknown, to power. 
The intriguing note is that I'm not the only one to experience major transitions like this. I know so many people in their Floating Season, and its challenging for them. We are in a time where college grads are experiencing low unemployment rates, and high debts; 20 somethings are living with family because of their expenses outweighing their capability to function independently. More than ever couples are together, pregnant, and then separated, leaving young moms to be sole providers. With pop culture giving power to the molly, body enhancements, and a YOLO lifestyle, those looking for love, or even monogamous love, live as a minority; so you have 20 somethings who focus on their careers, become successful and get to a point where they feel like they want to share their life and are alone! The "follow your passion" philosphy leaves a lot of excited dreamers financially strapped because they didn't hear about the hard work that goes with their dream. SO many things, that present a shift in identity; us looking at ourselves as our present, future, and past selves thinking what happens next. Whatever happens, and whatever exists at the moment be present in Gratitude. Greatness attracts greatness. Light attracts light. Gratitude attracts abundance, and even though life will happen to us all, be your best, and think the about best possible outcome of every situation. You will never be able to control the future but who you are, and the thoughts you concentrate the most on, will manifest in your life.
Every morning I make sure the first thing I do is state 10 things I'm grateful for. This simple assignment drives me everyday to understand that my Floating Season is the God given opportunity for me to define myself through the visions he put in my heart. For you, your Floating Season may reflect a time where you too get to  face your true self ; your passions; your dreams; your areas of growth. 
No matter what, when in doubt, be grateful! You shall prosper, and as each season comes, it will also pass.

BE Grateful~
Written by: Tiffany Wright

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