Is your roof leaking?

When I was a little girl, the family room of the house I grew up in used to have an open beam ceiling and a flat roof and every time it would rain, the roof leaked. You could always smell the wet wood before you saw the water and because of how the water would run down the wood beams, where the water dripped didn't necessarily mean that’s were the leak was. My parents, having other financial obligations, were unable to buy a new roof or even have it professionally repaired for some time. So my dad would study the leak inside while it was raining and when the rain subsided, he would climb up to the roof, try to find the hole/leak and patch it up. Eventually, they had enough money saved to purchase a new roof and we never had a leak again.

I've found that life is a lot like that leaking roof, wherein we are the roof and the elements represent the unwanted challenges, setbacks, disappointments and failures that we encounter throughout our lifetime. And as we are exposed to more and more elements, we begin to wear down and sometimes we lose our effectiveness at being our best selves. We forget who we once were, our light dims and/or we lose focus on our purpose; all these things represent a leaking roof. Now you can try to abate the effects that the elements have on your life with quick fixes and fancy patchwork, but eventually you will need to purchase a new life. And new lives don't go on sale; they're always sold at full-price. But they can't be purchased with money. No, it'll cost you much more. You see, the best quality of lives can only be purchased with insecurities, self-doubt and fears. Because once you've traded those babies in, you’ve got yourself a brand new life!

So my question to you is - is your roof leaking? If so, you may be in need of a new one! Life happens to everyone and just because someone else's situation doesn't look like yours, doesn't mean that they don't have their own situation to deal with. And sometimes, the elements can negatively affect one area of our lives but project in another. Be mindful of this both within yourself and when dealing with others. And once you positively change your thinking, you are capable of positively changing your living. So do your best not to take on the victim mentality when the elements feel insurmountable. It may take a great deal of time and energy, but you will - one day - be able to purchase a new life! So be bold, be beautiful, be kind, be confident, be courageous, be encouraged and be well!

Love & Peace

Niki B.