MMC Dirty Sponges – Josh Hatcher | Manlihood ManCast
I have had a challenging week.
They say we are like a sponge. When pressure is applied, what’s on the inside comes out.
Well, let’s just say this week, it’s clear there was nasty moldy water leaking out of me. Not soapy, clean water.
Life has a way of testing for weak spots. Every relationship, project, or other area of my life was getting pressure tested, exposing all the flaws… Like a cosmic safety audit…
In some cases, I passed the check.
In others, I failed miserably…
Funny how we can think we are strong, until something happens to show you exactly where you are weak.
You know those moments, right? When everyone you love says or does something stupid… When money is tight, and yet another unexpected expense arises… When the lawnmower the car, add the hot water heater breaks down on the same day… When the grief you’ve been pushing back busts over the levy… When you are physically exhausted, but can’t even sleep while your problems dance like drunken upstairs neighbors…
I can’t say I passed with flying colors.
But honestly, it’s not like this is the final exam.
These moments of trials men, are about refining.
You can’t fill the sponge with clean water until you squeeze out the bad water.
You don’t get pure gold without heating it up and separating the impurities.
You don’t get tempered steel without heating and beating.
So… Knowing this…. Let’s change our thinking.
Let’s process the struggle as life training us to be better, not as life victimizing us.
Make note of the things that make you angry, sad, defeated, irritated, jealous, anxious, and sour. These are the fault lines that are in need of repair. If you ignore them, they’ll break under the next batch of pressure. Combat them by measuring those thoughts against truth. Use truth like JB Weld… Only it’s better then JB Weld, because it heals, not just patches.
Don’t settle for being stuck in this loop of drama and frustration.
At the same time, know that this is a process. You and I will never magically arrive at perfection. A little at a time we improve, but only as much as we are willing to confront and work on our weakness.
