Rock Bottom Lessons

Who would have ever enjoyed the notion that hitting Rock Bottom in life could possibly be a good thing? I would imagine that every one of us goes to great lengths to avoid those lonely seasons that often bring despair and sometimes utter ruin.

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get there. A death. Loss of job or career. Debilitating sickness. Divorce. An accident. Overwhelming debt. An untimely, unwise decision that causes us to lose everything.

Maybe we don’t realize how many successive poor choices we made and we wake up one day to discover ourselves at Rock Bottom. We’ve developed bad patterns over time that sucked life instead of building it. We get into a slow fade and rutty pattern that seems difficult or impossible to turn around.

Everyone wants to live on the mountain tops, high on life, successful, wealthy in every way, and worry-free.

To make matters worse, all our friends on social media make it look like they are living larger than we could ever possibly imagine. The smiling families on vacation together, living in mansions that look like Heaven.

It can make a person sink even deeper and ask, “What’s the matter with ME?”

You may find yourself in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, nearing Rock Bottom, dealing with worry, debt, sickness or hopelessness, and the shame that often hovers around like a toxic haze.

Take heart! Rock Bottom will shape you in ways that Mountain Tops never will. Believe it or not, a majority of people hit rock bottom in one way or another and not only live to tell about it, but will report that Rock Bottom taught them much-needed lessons to launch them into the land of Thriving Joy.

Rock Bottom principles:

1. It usually took us some time to get here and we likely won’t get to leave Rock Bottom overnight. It may be a process
2. To rise up and climb out of Rock Bottom, you will be required to take life one day at a time, making one wise decision at a time
3. You can let go of the fear of failure!
4. Humble down and determine to learn everything you can from Rock Bottom so you can cut your stay short and never have to return. This season can give your character depths you would never have known or experienced otherwise
5. Never give up. You win by consistently getting up and showing up
6. Do what you know to do, even if you don’t FEEL like it. Learn to take responsibility for your life and don’t let your negative feelings rule your choices
7. Know that you are not alone—countless people have been here before you and understand the pain and confusion of Rock Bottom. Look to your loved ones and the ones who survived and ask for help and find encouragement from them
8. Look up! There is nowhere to go but up from here !
9. Silence the negative voices that condemn you and develop a little faith in yourself. You are unique. You have a destiny. You have gifts to give the world that no one else does. You are needed!
10. Never underestimate the power of a Grateful Heart . . . for every little thing. Even at Rock Bottom

Your life story is being written. Yep, you are in a low place, but you won’t stay here. You are ridiculously in charge of your life right now! You get to determine how this chapter and book will end.

I hope you never have to visit Rock Bottom. But if you do, imagine a beautiful outcome for your life, new strengths and wisdom you never could have known if you hadn’t conquered Rock Bottom.