Eventually lightning will strike!

Sometimes you get caught in a storm. The rain starts to pour – the thunder soon follows. You’re left standing there in the darkness. Ever been there before? You wake up and wonder- ‘why bother?’ It’s been months, maybe years now and nothing is going your way. The answers seem dark and elusive…I’m sure you’ve been there before. Maybe you’re out there right now. So the question is what should you do?
 Well the other night, I was watching a special…OK I’ll just come out with it, it was a special about the life of Joan Rivers. If you’re anything like me a lot of assumptions come up – a load mouth comedian, often quite crass – always with something to say. But this story went a little bit deeper. It showed the journey of a woman who hangs in there. A woman who pushes just to stay in the game. More than once she was faced with rock bottom, but something inside her kept moving. Then at one point the camera turns to a close friend of hers who said something incredibly powerful: “lightning will eventually strike (in a good way), if you're willing to stand out in the rain”. Think about that for a moment. Think about a time when your hope started fading – when it felt like your heart was ripped from you. There you are standing out in the rain. There you are getting totally drenched. The calls just aren’t coming. You somehow feel stuck and alone. You wonder and you wait but still nothing. But then think about this: think about a time you kept moving. You didn’t retreat into shelter. You didn’t walk away from the pain. You reached out and embraced opportunities – you found ways to plant your feet on the ground. Eventually, something starts happening. Eventually you see a new light. It may not be as bright as you hoped for, but it’s brighter than that spot in the corner….This is what happened to Joan. Even through years of rejection and judgment she kept walking through the storms and the rain. And eventually a light peered through the end of the tunnel. She not only won Celebrity Apprentice, but revived her once dying career. The offers started pouring in. She was applauded for her strength and tenacity (even by the people who judge her). Sure to many she’s still a loud mouth comedian, but she’s also a woman who will never give up – a woman for whom the lightening will strike - just like it can for you - if you're willing to stand out (and push through) in the rain!