What a difference a day make or a week for that matters. I know you have heard these words somewhere, actually in a song if you have been around long enough. This is where I was, emotionally spent, disliking my life place. All of my energy had spilled right out of me, as a result I became very negative. Unknowingly at the time, I felt trapped inside of my skin. I am presently successful career–wise but personally I was up the stream without a paddle. What have you done when you were in this situation? What got you going again? Where did you cast your net? Fisherman, they say, are very wise. I suppose it’s because of the toss; the location as to where it’s tossed. This week it was my time to “take action to throw or cast my net out there.”
Now that I have your attention, I would like to introduce myself to you. I am getting to visit you wherever you are all the way from Columbia, Missouri. I fortunately posted my bio and aspirations on a professional site called Linkedin. I didn’t know exactly what would happen from this barrage of posting but it was now out there. It was out there that I am an experienced writer and speaker seeking to broaden my horizon(s) to speak out as an advocate about topics that are close and dear to me i.e. dating abuse to college students and domestic violence. I was contacted and asked if I would consider being a guest writer. I said yes after a lengthy but positive (not knowing where this would go) conversation. So here I am on Adapting2change’s blog page as a guest writer for the next four weeks.
What got me here is as follows:
I was in one of those low, struggling, crisis moments in time. My personal life was suffering and had sucked so much of my energy from me I decided to turn my focus towards improving my professional life. I reached out to other professionals trying to find some common connections. This has led to several transforming events. It has been, for me, emotionally healing and self-affirming. Emotions are contagious. Connect with others. They are out there desiring to connect and listen and sometimes even support you. Some are seeking support and simply are asking for validation because they are or have been in the same situation.
Last Tuesday, I sat alone on my drab brown couch. I felt so very lonely. How could I ever get them to understand? I lashed out at the wrong people. Three of the people I loved the very most in all of the world. The years of trauma and grueling hurt washed out of me at that instant. As I watched and heard it happen I wanted to die….and I felt my soul rip apart, tortured over and over again. Fear and loathing glared at me for days. I needed to heal before I could ever do anyone else any good.
The following day, I decided I could not bear the way I was feeling: Distraught and full of anguish. My stomach felt like a hot rock burning a hole through my skin. My eyes didn’t want to see anymore. My body wanted to be permanently numbed. It was too real and I felt too much. Out of desperation to tune out my personal devastation I decide to fling my net out and didn’t even care what it pulled in at that point. My mind said just do anything except think about your miserable reality. Helpless, I thought, and in an attempt to deceive myself, I decided to reach out to strangers by letting myself be heard.
Today is a brand new day. I have and I am victorious. I am no longer in my head, well I am but I’m no longer fixated on limitations. A new word for me and maybe for you is “possibilities.” So you’re puzzled as to my pain? I do want you to keep in mind that I will share my story in another post.
It’s not that my surrounding circumstances are astronomically better than yesterday but when you cast out your net you will find some great souls to lift your spirits, make you believe, and turn the tide of your life. The perfection of life is in its imperfections. Through the imperfections, the faults, the cracks, and human error is a whole lot of glory and satisfaction. I may have used a few metaphors here but who knows what’s behind that next door or if you take that street or road that you never travel.
The replies started rolling in and the responses ranged anywhere from “I might have a job for you to look into” to “Meet for coffee and talk about our overlapping interests?” What do you know? I had LinkedIn to some extraordinary people. My intentions were purely professional but in my personal endeavors, my downtrodden attitude gradually did a 360. I am happier and more confident about the days and weeks ahead and my personal problems which seemingly are shifting in a much positive, uplifting direction.
So where will all of this take you…..
My father would often say to me, If you don’t ask, you don’t get (Mahatma Gandhi). We all have passions and hang ups. Don’t be timid. Reach out. It can make a world of difference from the inside out. I have spent the majority of my life being concerned with what others might think of what I think, what I do, who I am.
I could have left you with some tips but for now I want you inspired to know that you can make change happen for you. You can make change happen for your family and your communities. Crazy as it seems when you blindly take that next step, miraculous things begin to happen. I hope to hear from you and I invite your feedback and comments. Being here, in the present with you after last week, is a great place to be. Cast your net and see what happens!
Tara Henderson, Guest Writer, is a speaker, writer, and communications strategist. She holds a Masters in English and is presently attending a Masters in Public Health at the University of Missouri. Tara is an advocate and spokesperson for Dating Abuse and Domestic Violence, providing workshops on college campuses in surrounding communities in Columbia, Missouri.
Adapting2Change 
Tiara: Thank you for your response, I look forward to reading more from you. Use your gift that lies inside of you (writing), when you don’t see it or feel that it’s not helping others trust me what goes unseen does come to light. I appreciate your gift, god bless you in your writings to reach out & help others.
Tara: Thanks for responding, I look forward to reading more from you. Continue in your writing you have a gift inside you, keep up the good work and god bless you.
Tara & Hannah:Regarding the comment of the writer for “Casting Your Net”. For me, I thank you for your post it allowed me to think about things in my life. I feel you delivered a message that hit home for a lot of us, I also, believe it is a message there for us all if one can really look into what is being said and not so critical on the erros of grammar. Sometimes, by being so critical we miss out on what could be a great help to us. We can have many degress and Profess many things but one thing for sure we are not above making mistakes. Hannah somewhere along the line you lost site of what the post was about. This is not an English class nor is it about having who profess a degree. The article is about “casting your net” what is it about throwing your net out and receiving something back? this is what the issue is not grammar. If we can be gracious, and have passion for the meaning of what is written, we can look pass the nagitives and encourage and lift others up. Yes, there are times to be crticial yet, there is also, a way to do it. The power of the tongue is nasty and vicious (and yes, my grammar may not be all that but I’m sure if you read along you will get what I’m saying), let us cast out the bad engeries while also, speaking what we feel about the topic of a post and bring in the good engeries so that our dialogue can continue to have healthier blogs/comments/post.
Hi Marilyn–
I’m so glad you posted your thoughts. While reflecting on all of the times I have decided to “cast my net” I realized that, for me, it has always happened in the middle of a crisis or a desperate point in life. I tend to over analyze situations and unfortunately I believe this has stopped me from “casting my net” at times. It seems that desperation is what, often times, pushes me forward and allows me to throw caution to the wind. I know that when I open myself up and throw out my net I am pleased with the results and wonder why in the heck I didn’t do it before.
Think about it. What do you have to lose? What is holding you back?
Impressed with your comment!
“Cast Your Net And See What Happens”. I enjoyed reading this post, however I was looking for more. During my reading it got me thinking about certain things in life. Then I asked myself the question, when will I cast my net? What is holding me back from casting my net? Is it that I’m afraid of what it could bring to my life, rather positive or what I feel could be negative and not ready for that. So I remain pondering upon your post and waiting to read more.
Hello Hannah — Thank you for replying. I realize that we all have different perspectives on life. I only put mine out there as my own personal experience. It appears that you and I are on a different page for now. Hope you find much happiness and success in your week.
I agree that you must have positive energy & sometimes those sources come from unfamiliar territory or even strangers. We must be as the fishermen, cast out our nets & see what “energies” we may catch. We then have the power to “choose” to keep the positive & throw back the negative. The power is then in our hands.
Your wording on everything else tends to be a little lacking of someone with a Masters in English. I realize that sometimes when we write about things very personal, we don’t always use the right “terms” or ” punctuation”. I’m sure you are already aware of this, as you claim to be a writer.
I guess I agree that people need positive, but how do we really know (or does it even matter) if the positive “words” are coming from a true & honest place.
Who grades the articles people write? Who makes sure the counselor is counseling correctly? Don’t most people go to the one that makes them “feel” better? Is that all it’s about? This change to be happy. Do we just do what “feels good at the time” or is there really a life altering change that can happen when you, somewhat, pick & choose who or what you listen to? Is that not how cults come about? Weak people, in crisis, turning to the ones that make them feel better at the time.
Those are questions and, more so, statistical lessons I’d like more information on.
Hi Hannah
Please allow me to address the grammar-related errors in this post.It is my intention that each and every post flows accurately and for the most part makes sense. There are times when you want to say something or express yourself or oneself that it may not grammatically come out the right and correct way. Yes the article was edited and I apologize for our mistakes and lack of overall clarity. I applaud and thank Tara, my guest writer for her submissions as it is not always(even for experienced writers)easy and can be challenging when thinking how can I step into the shoes momentarily for the person who normally writes this post. Look for improvement in our upcoming post!
Do forward me an email if you have further questions regarding this post.
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Adapting2change is about an acknowledgement of embedded natural innate miraculous abilities, traits ,and, unknown energies that each of us possess, that clicks in just when we think we can’t go any further, just when we think we have lost all hope, this is the place I speak of that adapting or to that adapt word because each and every moment of consciousness, we are ever so changing.
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Thank you,
Curt Canada
Adapting2change
What a great place to begin a dialogue around the topic positive energy sources in which are innately present in each of us. Those sources of energy whether it be knowledge, information, or a personal experience,when cast out into the world so that one is able to not only connect and give to others but to receive are utterly transformational. It’s in the casting that’s powerful.