Have you ever taken a ride on the attitude struggle bus? The doors are open if you want to join the ride.

But why would I invite you to the struggle bus? It’s not a great place to be. It feels a bit stuffy. The wheels spin. Sometimes it’s crowded, and others times, it’s lonely. But there’s a positive if you’re willing to admit where you are—and that’s knowing where you are. You can’t go where you need or want to go without first identifying where you are. When you use a GPS app, it’s easy. The app asks if you want it to identify your location and start there. You don’t need to know where you are, just where you’re going. But our attitudes disorient us, and we need to take a breath, look around, and feel for a moment—long enough to notice some landmarks and warning signs. We don’t need to get stuck where we are, but it gives us context.

In a struggle isn’t a bad place to be. It’s just a bad place to stay. It’s a temporary trip, even if it’s repeated through seasons. But it’s not where we reside. We don’t typically get off the struggle bus without recognizing where we are. It’s still hard. We get comfortable even in the discomfort. We don’t want to spend the energy. Sometimes we’re too stubborn, too proud, too depressed, too [fill in the blank]. But there’s also hope. There are doors to that struggle bus, and they’re not glued shut.

When you’re ready, press the button, and cue that bus to stop. It’s time to get off and take a refreshing walk. Take in the fresh air. Get refreshed. Stretch those muscles. It’s worth the change of scenery.

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