There’s No Shame In Hitting Rock-bottom
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I’ve had a lot of friends hit rock-bottom over the years. In fact, I’ve hit rock-bottom financially a number of times and I absolutely know how it feels. For a time, you feel worthless like you’ve let everyone down. You also feel hopeless because you think you’ll never be able to recover. Then you feel angry because of all the time you’ve lost. Sometimes, you burn bridges, end marriages and lose friends. It’s a horrible, horrible feeling compounded; I would imagine, if you add drugs and alcohol into the mix. The common thread between all of these feelings is shame.
Shame is surprisingly difficult to get over. It attaches to your ego and eats away at your sense of self. Shame is so strong that it is considered the number 1 reason why people who get lost in the woods die. It is also; not surprisingly, a very common cause of suicide. When you feel shame you isolate which is the exact wrong thing to do. Isolation will slow down any forward progress toward recovery.
When I felt my deepest shame, I did two things which were very effective. I surrendered myself to God and surrounded myself with a strong support structure of friends and family who believed in me regardless of my failure. First, what I discovered by surrendering myself was that it became much easier to understand what God wanted. I was able to read the scriptures with a clear and open heart and they began to make more sense than they ever had before. Second, by surrounding myself with loved ones I was not given much of a chance to wallow in self pity or shame. They all called me out and lifted me up at a time when it would’ve been difficult to do for myself.
I’m now very grateful for everything in my life, including and especially hitting what I considered rock-bottom. Had I not hit rock-bottom I would not have surrendered to the Lord, I would not have made the decisions I have since then that led to a thriving business based on integrity and I would not have met many of the people I know now who help me to spread the Word. By the way, many of the people I’ve met had hit rock-bottom in dozens of ways and all have come through as thriving God’s Men of Influence. This is why I can say, there is no shame in hitting rock-bottom. Remember, “The struggle strengthens.”
Be blessed, be joyous and be welcome at God’s Men of Influence.
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