I grew up in an Italian-Irish Catholic family, and religion was a big part of my upbringing. I went to Catholic school for most of the years I was in school, and we often had to read the Bible.

I often found comfort in Matthew 7:7-8 (Seek, and Ye Shall Find…).

I think what I liked about the passage is the hope contained within it. If you take away the religious aspect (praying to God), there’s still a lot of hope there. If you grew up in an alcoholic/dysfunctional family, you know what you know. I know that I’ve often had tunnel vision and thought that all families acted as mine did.

As I grew older, I saw that wasn’t true, and I began to question and to seek. I started asking questions and searching for a different and healthier way to live.

You are on a journey. All of us are. Whether we each accept the responsibility to continue on that journey is up to us.

What do you want out of life? How do you want to be happy? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do with your life?

These are questions that will take a lifetime to answer. Often we don’t stop to think about them because we’re numbed by work deadlines, TV shows, our phones, and the never-ending swirl of events in our lives.

Simply put: We don’t stop and smell the roses enough.

I’ve not done that and I’ve allowed myself to be treated badly because it was easier. I didn’t stand up for myself when I could have. Now I have a choice: Seek, and I shall find. I also need to work on my boundaries and co-dependency issues along with my mental well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. I write this in July 2020 when cases in the United States crossed an all-time high yesterday of 70,000.

What are we seeking? God? Happiness? Companionship? Self-love?

We can get easily distracted with the next buzz from our phone or news sound bite.

But what if we stop for a few moments today? Just stop and listen.

I’ve done that and it’s been hard because I become worried and anxious about the future.

The future is tomorrow (duh!) and today is the here and now.

I do not have the answers for tomorrow, but I can sit in stillness with myself today.

And so can you.

Sit for a few minutes in silence and embrace the present. When you take ownership of your life, new opportunities arise—not because of luck, but because you have your eyes open and are willing.

Like what you’ve read? Be sure to check out my other posts in my Let Go and Be Free blog.