Joyful Jenny #4 - The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

There's a light at the end of the tunnel. But I can't see it yet.
I know once I'll get there...
I will be all set.

I dream and wish and hope... 
That it'll all be fine.
And when it gets hard to cope, 
I'll take that light and shine.

These here are lyrics to a verse that I wrote for a song. I believe that these lyrics can help anyone reach their dreams. We all have a dream. I know that it sometimes feels as if we aren't able to get to them. But trust me, one day you will. Basically, these lyrics say almost the exact wording. Everyone has their own tunnel. Their own little path of life. I have mine and I can honestly say that behind me, it's very dark. But the lights recently just started to dim. I know there's a light at the end of my tunnel. I may not be almost there. But I know that there is one. There's always a bright side to most things. Sometimes, we feel like we can't make it. But like these lyrics say, take that light and shine. Make it your own. It doesn't have to be the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe it's a small lantern that you found along the way to make things a little easier. Make the best of that light. There are going to be obstacles. We all have to face them at one point. Just know that it will get better. It's getting better for me. So, why can't it for you? Okay. I'm going to be honest. Sometimes, when people tell me to look on the bright side, I can get a little frustrated with them. Some situations really don't have a bright side and some people just don't seem to understand that. But that doesn't mean it's the end of your joy or happiness. It just means you need to move on from that dark abyss you were once in. I know, that there's sometimes no bright side. For example, my grandma who passed away. There was no bright side there. But I managed to move on with my life and not let it get me down. Sure, I still shed a tear every once in a while. But I know that that's not what my grandma wants for me. So I keep it going. But you can always leave that dark part of your tunnel behind you. It's hard, I know. I totally understand from personal experience. But it's not going to make it easier if you keep dwelling over something. Move on and reach that light at the end of your tunnel of life. Don't reach right away though. You still got a long way to go. But find that lantern that will help you along the way. It'll all be fine. I know it. Just have the hope. It'll all be worth it. You will reach whatever it is you are reaching for. Once it's right in front of you, grab that dream and give it all you got. No one can define your future but you. I think that many people can find their light if they just believe in themselves. Also, remember that sometimes there are times where you can reach the light at the end of the tunnel. But once you get there, there's another tunnel. Life is full of good and bad things. There are times where we feel as if we want to give up. But don't. Keep it going for yourself, not others. Remember to always do things because you want to do it and not to just please others. But yes, sometimes it's nice to do things for other people who deserve it. Just remember, get through the tunnel of life and find your light. 

Rays of Sunshine - A Poem

"Walking down the gravel pathway I shield my eyes
The setting sun shining through the branches of the eucalyptus tree ahead
Blinding me temporarily, but not disorienting me
Like being overwhelmed with too much brightness
My eyes soon come to adjust as a leaf falls from the tree
And lands on my shoulder."

Fighting Pre-Conceived Notions Is A Full Time Job When They Are Constantly Being Rebuilt By Society

With love being the expression of joy and hate being it's absence, pre-conceived ideas and opinions are the vines that tie us down. Those vines being put there by the world around us, the society that we live immersed in. How ironic that the things that cause the biggest barriers of hate are of our own making. The society we have evolved into is one that profits off the misery and downfall of others. Look at marketing in the westernized world today, it's goal is to make you feel like you won't be enough (in whatever way) unless you have their product. It ranges from the "best" shampoo to the "purest" spring-fed water bottles to designer or name-brand clothing to skin cream and plastic surgery - the list goes on and on, expanding more with each passing day. We have created the "perfect" person that we all strive to be, the problem of course being that the perfection is ever-changing. As a byproduct of creating an ideal person we bring stereotypes and discrimination into the world. Anyone who does not fit into our little mold is thrown aside as an outcast and shunned. We group people together and put the labels on them that we are told. This religion is bad, this sexual orientation is bad, on and on. Because these choking vines come from the world we have built for ourselves they will keep coming as long as we give them a world in which to thrive. 

It is our job in life to see when those vines are obscuring our view and tying us down. Tearing them off is easy, the hard part is keeping them off because the next thing you know they have already grown back up around your ankles. The trick is to teach yourself how to identify when those thorny arms have their hold, because only then can you do something about it. Make yourself aware of how you are thinking and why you feel the way you do about things. These ideas of hate come at us from all around, television, movies, books, the news, politicians, media, etc. - constantly ensnaring and trapping us. A never-ending battle, a job for the ages. Don't give up, you're not alone; you're not the only one. Just keep pushing. Hold on to your joy and don't let go. We can't change how the world works per se, just how we work within it.