The Morning After Rock Bottom
Spoiler: The hangover is worse than the fall.
The morning after rock bottom.
Even in a big city, you never really know how loud nature can be until you are stuck outside, unconsciously counting down the hours until sunrise. Picture being outside since 4 p.m. the day before. First comes the buzzing of insects and then the rustle of the wind. Then, like a live orchestra warming up, the birds kick in …. melodious, chatty, probably looking down saying, “Looks like someone just checked into the homeless hotel. He must be new, because the only thing dirty on him are those feet in those flip-flops.”
The period just after, especially the morning after always feels heavier than the fall itself. It is not that you woke up and it was all a bad dream. You never slept. Your mind replays every mistake, every conversation, every blow that brought you here.
Survival mode kicks in, but survival alone is a trap. It is like eating airplane peanuts. You will not starve, but you will not thrive either.
The danger with survival mode is that it convinces you it is progress. You say, “At least I am still standing.” But if standing is all you ever do, you are not moving forward. You are just stuck in place, renewing your lease at rock bottom, paying with fear and inaction.
That is when the smallest choices start to matter. Choosing to drink water instead of another soda. Choosing to get up and walk instead of sitting in despair. Choosing to text a friend instead of isolating. None of those choices fix your life overnight, but they chip away at the feeling of being powerless.
One thing that comes standard in the human package is resilience and survival instincts. For some, it kicks in automatically. For others, it needs a jolt, like hearing a seasoned homeless man, strung out on drugs, point to a corner wedged between two buildings and say, “Hey buddy, it’s not that bad out here. You can have that apartment over there.”
Im pretty sure that would be anyones jolt. In that moment, you realize resilience is not a luxury. It is a decision. You either accept the deluxe suite at rock bottom or you lace up your flip-flops and start walking forward.
It reminds me of God’s promise: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
LIFE LESSON: Survival mode is necessary in the short term, but it is not a place to live. Eventually, survival has to turn into strategy, because you cannot heal where you are only hiding.
ACTION STEP: Choose one stubborn step forward today. Clean your room. Walk around the block. Journal one page. Make one phone call. Do something small but real. Forward is forward, no matter the size.
One last thing about rock bottom is you do not just climb out in one leap, unless of course you stumble across a winning lottery ticket stuck to the soles of your flip-flops after walking aimlessly for hours and suddenly find yourself a hundred grand richer. If that is you, disregard everything I just said and maybe send FlowRise Media a support offering.
But for the rest of us, the climb is slower. We claw our way up one stubborn step at a time. Depending on your struggle, that step might be making your bed. Or cleaning your house. Lacing up your trainers and walking around the block. Picking up a pen and finally writing two paragraphs of that book you have been dreaming about. It does not matter what it looks like…forward is forward, no matter how small.
The morning and general period after is about survival. But survival has to become the spark for something more ….strategy, hope, and movement.
Grow deep. Rise strong.